Some South Island stores have imposed age restrictions on the sale of butane following deaths from huffing the gas.
In a report released earlier this month, Chief Coroner Judge Neil MacLean said at least 63 people had died from inhaling butane since 2000.
His review, prompted after two Mosgiel teens suffered severe burns in July when a LPG bottle they were inhaling from exploded, found that 55 of those who died were aged under 24, with 49 of them male and 30 Maori.
These findings have prompted six Mitre 10 and Mitre 10 Mega stores in the South Island to refuse to sell butane-based solvents to people aged under 18, the Otago Daily Times reports.
Christchurch's Ferrymead Mitre 10 store manager Tony Franc decided to "take action" after 17-year-old Poihaere Eru died from suspected butane huffing in a Christchurch park last month.
"We just wanted to do something to make sure that we weren't selling to the wrong people," he said.
Customers will need to show ID and state their intended purpose for the product.
Judge MacLean praised the initiative, saying there are two ways forward in the butane sales debate - regulation or voluntary compliance.
He will watch the initiative with interest, he says.
In his report Judge MacLean said legislating against the sale of butane was impractical.
"It is a sad reflection of our society that so many people are losing their lives for the sake of being briefly intoxicated," he said at the time.
Placemakers, Countdown and Foodstuffs are reviewing their polices relating to the sale of butane-based products.
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