Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Far North Mayor Moko Tepania has a blunt message for shop owners selling pipes for smoking meth — stop it now.

While methamphetamine is a banned class A drug with stiff penalties for dealing and possession, meth pipes are sold openly in vape stores, $2 shops and dairies around New Zealand.

Wastewater test results — showing the Far North had some of the highest meth consumption rates in New Zealand — prompted Tepania to personally visit shops selling the pipes.

That included dairies in Kaikohe and Ōpononi, whose owners had agreed to pull drug utensils from their shelves.

"There's no place whatsoever for glass pipes to be sold anywhere in the Far North. The damaging effects across communities, inter-generationally as well, from methamphetamine, is something that we can't stand for. So I'd be urging any retailers in the Far North to stop selling glass pipes."

Under current New Zealand law, possession of meth pipes is not illegal — unless they are actually being used for smoking the drug — but importing and selling them is prohibited.

Customs told RNZ it had seized 31,000 drug utensils, including meth pipes, so far this year, and had taken some of the importers to court.

Despite that, an RNZ survey found most vape stores and $2 shops in Kaikohe and Kerikeri sold the pipes. Even some dairies stocked the distinctive glass pipes.

Few shops had an age restriction on drug utensils and some displayed them on the counter next to children's novelty items.

Feedback from listeners made it clear it was an issue around the country, not just in Northland.

RNZ asked police, Health NZ, Crown Law and councils how meth pipes could be sold so openly, including at shops frequented by children.

RNZ was told selling the pipes was not illegal, or the questions were referred to other agencies.

During a visit to Whangārei last week, Labour leader Chris Hipkins said his party - if it formed part of the next government - would do whatever it took to get the pipes out of shops.

"There is a very real problem here. Either the law isn't being fully enforced as it is now or there's a gap in the law that's preventing that law enforcement from taking place effectively. It's something that we've got to have a look at," he said.

"People shouldn't be able to buy meth pipes across the counter for, in some cases, as little as a couple of dollars. It's leading to a bigger problem. We've got to get on top of that."

While getting rid of glass pipes would not stop people using meth, Hipkins said selling them alongside milk or toys normalized the drug.

"Having meth pipes available ready across the counter sends a message that it's legitimate and that it's okay. It's not. Methamphetamine use destroys people's lives and we should be doing everything we can to combat it."

Tepania said it was not clear if councils had any power to stop the sale of meth pipes.

"This is something that I'd like to explore. If not us, then who can get the regulatory compliance powers to be able to stop it? But my plea to Far North retailers right now is to stop selling anything to do with methamphetamine."

Today, however, the government said the sale of meth pipes had in fact been illegal all along, and told RNZ the problem was one of enforcement.

Northland MP Grant McCallum said that was the conclusion of a briefing paper prepared for Health Minister Simeon Brown this morning.

"What has emerged from this briefing is that ultimately it's about police enforcement, and there will be discussions now with the police to actually get them to focus on enforcing the law. They have got options here to remove these pipes from shops," he said.

The paper would now be referred to Police Minister Mark Mitchell.

But McCallum said it was up to shop owners too, not just police, to fix the problem.

"And I would like to commend Mayor Moko for his efforts and I would also challenge those selling what are obviously meth pipes to desist because we're all responsible for the community we live in. And I think that the shop owners need to reflect on what they're doing."

Jodie Rameka, a Whangārei 25-year-old who has led a campaign to get meth pipes out of the city's $2 shops, welcomed the news.

Her reaction, when told authorities now concede selling drug utensils is illegal, was blunt.

"No shit, you know what I mean? Why has it taken them this long?"

Rameka said the pipes were sold in every $2 shop she had visited.

She was concerned their easy availability in shops popular with families and children could lead to drug use becoming normalized, and was pleased her campaign finally seemed to be paying off.

"I definitely feel hopeful now that we will see something put into place that will actually change how things are at the moment. It comes back to the young people in our communities," she said.

RNZ carried out a survey in June of all vape stores and $2 shops, and several dairies, in the Far North towns of Kaikohe and Kerikeri

In Kaikohe, one out of three vape stores, two out of three $2 shops, and one in two dairies sold glass pipes for smoking meth, ranging in price from $14 to $25.

The pipes were even easier to find in Kerikeri.

All three $2 shops, a vape store and a combined dairy/vape shop sold glass meth pipes, with prices starting from $11.

All shop assistants, bar one, claimed they did not know what the pipes were for.

Frontline drug counsellors such as Rhonda Zielinski, kaiwhakahaere (chief executive) of Whakaoranga Whānau Recovery Hub in Kaikohe, described the situation as "absolutely ludicrous".