CVS to Stop Selling Cigarettes

CVS Goes Tobacco Free

I was happy to discover today that by October 1st of this year, CVS will no longer sell any tobacco products, including cigarettes. Despite the fact that the company earns nearly $2 billion in annual revenue from cigarettes, customers will no longer be able to simultaneously pick up prescriptions and a pack of Marlboros. This will make the company the first national pharmacy chain to make the move out of the tobacco category, and they should be applauded for doing so. 

Cigarette Smoking on the Decline

Health Comes First

The move to eliminate tobacco sales from CVS showed that the company is willing to put the health of it's customers above short-term profits. Smokers may turn away from the company and they will undoubtedly suffer in terms of sales, but this move makes a big statement. It say that companies should not be hypocrites. A company that offers a variety of health and pharmacy services should be concerned with the health of it's customers. Selling products known to harm health directly contradicts the healthy focus of the company. CVS is thereby taking a step in showing that it takes it's mission seriously.

Part of a Larger Trend

CVS may have been the first mover in this category, but other companies are likely to follow suit with similar decisions. For decades we have found the same unhealthy products in store after store. As a society, we have always waited for the government to tell us where and how we could purchase unhealthy products. This is one of the first times that a company, rather than a city or state, is regulating what consumers can and cannot purchase. To me, this is symbolic of our society taking health into it's own hands, rather than passively waiting for the government to act.

Smoking on the Decline

For decades, smoking rates have been on the decline in America. Smoking was once a fashionable pastime, but today it is viewed in a much more negative light. While part of the CVS decision is largely symbolic, it may in part actually help to further the decline of smoking in America. To support this goal, CVS is also rolling out a smoking cessation campaign through it's pharmacies. 

Way to go CVS!