CVS is out of the cigarette business, the company announced Wednesday.
Drugstore chain CVS announced Tuesday the end of cigarette sales in their stores, one month earlier than the anticipated stop date.
A name change, to “CVS Health,” accompanied the announcement on Wednesday. The company also said they were launching a personalized smoking cessation campaign to help their customers quit.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said he “applauded” CVS for “prioritiz(ing) public health over corporate profit,” and called upon other national chains such as Wal-Mart, Walgreens and Rite-Aid, to stop selling cigarettes as well.
“As pharmacies increasingly market themselves as a source for community healthcare, they send a mixed message by continuing to sell deadly tobacco products,” Schneiderman said in a statement. “The fact that these stores profit form the sale of cigarettes and tobacco must take a backseat to the health of New Yorkers and customers across the country.”
