CVS prides itself on the pharmaceutical and day-to-day care they offer. CVS is the second largest drugstore in the country. This announcement to stop the sale of tobacco products was not good news for the Tobacco Industry.
CVS decided to formally change their name to “CVS Health.” The decision to refrain from tobacco sales will cost CVS and other pharmacies a decent amount of their profit. However, the companies believe the loss of money is worth the health benefits and press that will come.
MTV has been showing ads that shame celebrities and tobacco companies. MTV’s viewers tend to be teens to young adults; this age group is at the point where they might decide to use tobacco products. MTV has produced advertisements to stop teen usage of tobacco products in hopes to decrease the teen smoking rate to less than 1%.
Truth is an organization who works to end teen smoking. They have composed several ads with the facts about teen smoking on channels like MTV and Nickelodeon. After CVS said they would no longer be selling tobacco products, Truth called out other large pharmacies such as Walgreens and Walmart.
Cutting out the sale of tobacco products in drugstores leaves gas stations, select grocery stores and specialty tobacco stores to sell what the Tobacco Industry has produced. As more businesses stop selling tobacco, it is predicted to create a domino effect. Companies will feel the pressure to cut out tobacco when larger companies are. Although many smokers won’t use CVS, more nonsmokers will respect their decision to make a healthier company.
