Bravo CVS!

That is a very respectable and bold move. To do so this year and not put it off unto next year by just making a promise that they'll stop selling cigarettes (only to back down at a later date).

Now maybe other stores, like Walgreens, supermarkets, Walmart etc will think about following this example.

People bought cigarettes at CVS? Now I guess they'll have to buy them at a convenience store, while getting lottery tickets.

I don't care, as long as they don't stop selling bourbon.

They claim to be concerned about the dangers of smoking while being a corporation which is supposed to emphasizing good health and good health habits. Somewhat hypocritical when one goes into one of their stores and is greeted immediately by candy, snacks such as chips and the such, cookies, sweetened sodas, as well as other non-healthy items. Considering the high rate of obesity in this country, and the deaths related to it, not only from the weight; but, from those added complications such as diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease, the surgery for knee and hip ailments/failures due to the excess weight...

The only way to access and purchase cigarettes is at the checkout. Now, CVS claims concern about health, yet, there right in front of the shoppers as they check out, are candy bars, bags of M&Ms, Skittles, Starburst, sugar filled gum, and often individually wrapped donuts and/or cookies and cakes. So, does CVS truly care or are they aware that they sell cigarettes at a lower cost than the local bodega or grocery and therefore receive a much lesser profit? Would they sacrifice the sales of Pepsi, Coke, Dr.Pepper and all sweetened sodas? Likely they'd not do that as their bottom line would take a real hit.

Don't misunderstand, I am glad they have stepped up to make a statement, I just feel it's a hollow statement and not worth the 39 seconds of advertisement they've gained from it.

I have indicated for years, if the government really wanted to combat the dangers of smoking, they could issue a medical i.d. card to all current smokers and nobody born after a certain time would be able to purchase the danged things, and they'd be sold only at drug stores as they actually are a drug (which makes it ironic that CVS is now against them).

I'm glad.
I thoughts Sturgis had a few points and he made them well. CVS would be well advised to remove all consumables from their shelves and stick to things that we rub on, apply to our skin, hair, eyes, nose and throat or otherwise ingest in order to place ourselves back amongst the healthy.

Joe(Oh, and they can keep selling greeting cards)Nation

Sugar, chocolate and alcohol are fine in moderation. Tobacco is not. People do need to exhibit some form of self-moderation.

I think it's a good direction for CVS. They are reading the paint on the wall and trying to angle themselves into a growing niche market of being the local clinic. They have nurses and pharmacists on staff. If this plays out for them, they will do very well for themselves.

CVS ought to become a health food store.

I'm a Walgreens girl myself.

Their intention is become even bigger in Vitamin market, just as people are finding out that vitamins generally just produce vitamin-enriched urine.

Joe(what a lovely shade of yellow!)Nation

FYI -most stores get paid to have certain brands be displayed in very specific locations and why not - you get for what you pay.

This might, in part, be a sign that they're going to lay off workers. After all, you can't buy tobacco products at the self-checkout lanes or at the pharmacy counter. Somebody has to man the regular checkout area (sometimes two) where tobacco is sold. Plus checking IDs takes some time. It isn't much for one transaction, but multiply that by however many per day or per year. Eliminate tobacco products and in a lot of stores you can get rid of a second manually covered checkout area.

This also creates room for other stock. They must not be making enough for the cubic footage currently assigned to cigarettes, and have something else already lined up for that footage which will give them better $/cubic foot. Maybe small appliances or more high-end makeup?

My own order of preference:
1. Rite Aid
2. Duane Reade
3. Walgreens
4. CVS

I've been to Rite Aids, but we don't have them, or Duane Read (never of of them) here where I live.

Jes - I'm trying to think of what I see people buy a lot of when I'm standing in line.

I don't think I see anyone buying small appliances, although the markup profit may be high on what they do sell, I don't know. Don't particularly see a lot of makeup going out the door either. Thinking about it, with makeup you're mostly limiting yourself to half the population, and the memeber of that half that buy makeup. Don't know about the markup there either.

I'll have to pay attention to what IS in peoples hands or carts next time I go in. I think I see a good amount of cleaning products, bottled water and other beverages.

The cigarettes here are kept right behind the main register at the location I ususally go to. I guess they could move the phone cards to where they now are, freeing up that wall space for something else.

Walgreens owns Duane Reade now. They are even cheaper then Duane Reade. I just prefer Duane Reade sometimes because they have better selection in certain departments.

I think the difference is you can have a little bit of candy or a little bit of chips and not be overweight or obese. I indulge once in a while and I am not at all overweight or in bad health.

You can't have a little bit of cigarettes and be healthy. Also even if they are considered a drug--there is no health benefit to them whatsoever, unlike the other drugs sold.

Height of hypocrisy, as has already been suggested.

I reckon CVS just decided they're not really making enough of a profit on tobacco sales so might as well drop cigarettes from their inventory. And it looks good from a PR angle, improving the image and all that. (In our local daily paper this morning, it even made the front page.)

What's the big deal? I just walk across the street to the nearest 7-11 store.

When cigarettes are outlawed, only outlaws will smoke cigarettes. Or somethin' like that . . .

Only dopes take dope.

Surely one could smoke a cigarette once in a while and not get lung cancer. Is the risk higher? Sure, but so is the risk of obesity and diabetes from eating that little bit of candy or chips. I'm just saying you can't say cigarette's aren't healthy, but candy is. One SHOULD cut candy, chips, and cigarettes completely out of their diet. One SHOULD cut bourbon out of one's diet too, I suppose.

I don't smoke cigarettes (filthy habit), but I do smoke cigars occasionally, and I don't have lung or mouth cancer, nor am I in bad health (knock, knock). But I SHOULD cut cigars out of my diet.

What kind of life would it be without cigars and whisky?


What health benefit is associated with candy or chips?