A KRONIC SITUATION

 Kronic is synthetic cannabis. For a time in New Zealand it was legally available in dairies. In my view (and the view of many others) it was a scourge in our society. Dairies were getting robbed for the drug and there was an increase in associated anti-social behaviour. 

A number of dairy owners whose only imperative was to make money at the expense of our younger generation would sell the drug. We had two local dairies where we used to live in Hamilton. One owner to his credit displayed a sign showing that he did not sell Kronic. I thanked him for choosing to do this. The other owner did not…

So, each Saturday morning for a couple of months I visited his shop, purchased a newspaper and then challenged him with a variety of questions. 

“Would you sell this rubbish to your sons?” 

“What profit do you make on each sold item?” 

“Why are you making this choice?” 

Most times his answer was to look at me in stony silence.

Eventually, due to public pressure, Kronic became illegal to sell. I promised the shopkeeper that once it did, I would never step inside his shop again. My promise was kept.

POINTS to PONDER

Be willing to step out of your comfort zone to challenge the notion of ‘profit above all’. 

Stand up for what you know is the greater good in your neighbourhood, community and society. 

Saying no for the right reasons is more powerful than saying a weak yes. Being proactive in ‘drawing a line in the sand’ and taking an ethical stand benefits all people.