CVS will phase out tobacco sales by 1 Oct 2014

[SteveG1988]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/05/health/cvs-cigarettes/

[hotdogPi]

That's a really long time away. I think it's a good thing that they're removing it, but it will take quite a long time before it happens.

[Duke87]

You might think that a business that voluntarily gives up $2 billion in revenue fails at capitalism.

But it seems they are looking to push hard on a service to help people quit, which could make up for the lost revenue... and might put them ahead of the curve if it's successful.

[US71]

You might think that a business that voluntarily gives up $2 billion in revenue fails at capitalism.

But it seems they are looking to push hard on a service to help people quit, which could make up for the lost revenue... and might put them ahead of the curve if it's successful.

There was a report on NPR this afternoon.. CVS is looking at several options including walk-in clinics, but they're saying at this time what their intentions are (probably so their competition doesn't try to do it first)
Personally, I'd love to see a gourmet food aisle

[hotdogPi]

There was a report on NPR this afternoon.. CVS is looking at several options including walk-in clinics, but they're not saying at this time what their intentions are (probably so their competition doesn't try to do it first)
Personally, I'd love to see a gourmet food aisle

Is that what you meant?

[leroys73]

Is it a $2 billion business for them?  It is possible that their income does not off set the cost and hassle of selling them.  I agree a drug store should not sell unhealthy products.  But do they sell beer?  Walgreen does. What about sugar products?

Wow, we have the governments making it difficult to smoke anywhere because of health reasons hence less people smoke.  There goes a lot of tax money.  Then the same governments are looking at or already have made blowing a joint legal.   Is a joint healthier than tobacco? Could it be the governments have realized that they are losing $ on tobacco and now see mucho tax $ available on pot?  CVS might miss the $ boat as they could have been a retailer for MJ. 

For the record, I don't smoke anything except meat but I do drink beer. 

Speaking of beer as a side bar: 
Years ago in Oklahoma at 21 it was legal to drink 3.2 beer while driving.  Law was changed soon after I turned 21. I guess they saw me coming. No I don't drink and drive and I am strongly against it.

[hotdogPi]

Is a joint healthier than tobacco?

It is not quite as bad, but still bad.

[US71]

No I don't drink and drive and I am strongly against it.

Wise fellow. !

[US71]

There was a report on NPR this afternoon.. CVS is looking at several options including walk-in clinics, but they're not saying at this time what their intentions are (probably so their competition doesn't try to do it first)
Personally, I'd love to see a gourmet food aisle

Is that what you meant?

*sigh*
Yes, thank you.

[hbelkins]

I own property at the intersection of two state routes and always thought it would be a great place to put a convenience store or neighborhood store, somewhat like an old-time country store. I always said that if I did open such a market, I wouldn't sell cigarettes.

[roadman]

You might think that a business that voluntarily gives up $2 billion in revenue fails at capitalism.

But it seems they are looking to push hard on a service to help people quit, which could make up for the lost revenue... and might put them ahead of the curve if it's successful.

There was a report on NPR this afternoon.. CVS is looking at several options including walk-in clinics, but they're saying at this time what their intentions are (probably so their competition doesn't try to do it first)
Personally, I'd love to see a gourmet food aisle

Don't know about other states, but some CVSes in Massachusetts already have walk-in clinics.

[SteveG1988]

NJ has a few, they're called Minute Clinics, I get my flu shot at them.

I wonder, how many people go to the CVS to buy cigs and stuff like that versus a 7-11 or WaWa, or Circle K

[golden eagle]

To be honest, I never knew CVS sold cigarettes. I just never noticed.

[NE2]

Another victory for Big Weed.

[Brandon]

Is it a $2 billion business for them?  It is possible that their income does not off set the cost and hassle of selling them.  I agree a drug store should not sell unhealthy products.  But do they sell beer?  Walgreen does. What about sugar products?

Sugar products are fine for you if eaten in moderation.  If so, then they're a fun treat.  Ditto with wine and beer.  Tobacco (nicotine) has no safety in moderation.  It's an addiction, not a habit, and a very strong one at that, on par with crack or heroin.

[SteveG1988]

CVS in NJ does not sell alcohol, NJ limits liquor licenses, and beer is considered something that a license is required for.

[realjd]

Tobacco (nicotine) has no safety in moderation.  It's an addiction, not a habit, and a very strong one at that, on par with crack or heroin.

Thats a gross oversimplification. Nicotine itself is addictive but essentially harmless. The harm lies entirely within the tobacco smoke.

And don't confuse cigarettes with other tobacco products like cigars or pipes. Cigarettes are engineered to cause addiction, and the fact that the smoke is inhaled results in a rapid onset of nicotine effects which reinforces the addiction. Inhaling the smoke also is what causes most tobacco related illnesses. Cigars and pipes, which aren't inhaled, don't cause things like lung cancer and are significantly less addictive due to the slow nicotine delivery.

Now cigars and pipes can cause throat and mouth cancers but those are much less common. For those of us who enjoy a cigar every month or so without addiction (what I'd call below moderate use), the risk is essentially zero.

[Duke87]

A tangential thought I had today...
How much land is used to grow tobacco? What could that land be used for instead that might be more productive?

Google answers the first question: 3.8 million hectares worldwide. As for the second, one answer that may or may not be smartassed depending on how you look at it would be "growing hemp". (note that I say "hemp", not "marijuana" - it has uses other than for smoking, such as making paper and fabric)

[Pete from Boston]

CVS in NJ does not sell alcohol, NJ limits liquor licenses, and beer is considered something that a license is required for.

The Rite Aid in Highland Park always had a big liquor aisle.  Not sure about beer.  Never saw an equivalent CVS anywhere.

[KEVIN_224]

I've never seen alcohol sold at any CVS store in Connecticut. Not sure about Rite Aid, however.

P.S. So glad that CVS made this decision today! 

[Alps]

A tangential thought I had today...
How much land is used to grow tobacco? What could that land be used for instead that might be more productive?

Google answers the first question: 3.8 million hectares worldwide. As for the second, one answer that may or may not be smartassed depending on how you look at it would be "growing hemp". (note that I say "hemp", not "marijuana" - it has uses other than for smoking, such as making paper and fabric)

How about food crops? You know, since the world has so many malnourished people?

[Takumi]

I wonder, how many people go to the CVS to buy cigs and stuff like that versus a 7-11 or WaWa, or Circle K

More than you'd think, at least here. The one I work at sells in the thousands of dollars per week.

[Zeffy]

It's wonderful that CVS is doing this - but will it affect smokers? No. They will walk up to the nearest 7/11, Quickchek, whatever convenience store and buy them there. Despite all the warnings put on the cigarette cartons by the FDA, they won't stop. And they probably can't stop because it's so addictive. A good chunk of my friends smoke cigs because we smoked weed back in the late years of high school (I stopped because financial problems + drug tests aren't going to fly like that when looking for a job) and I can tell you this: they don't know how bad it is for them. Or maybe they do - they just don't care. One of my friends, who is 19 years old and smokes cigarettes already had a tumor forming from cancerous cells. Mind you, he is fit and active (actually, he's in the US Army) yet he smoked for 5-8 years and boom, cancer already. If that's not scary, I don't know what is.

Now it's well damn public knowledge that the chemicals in cigarettes are definitively linked to cancer (aka, carcinogens). The government still thinks weed is some super bad drug, when studies have pretty much proven that is a safer alternative to cigarette smoking (in some ways). Plus, as seen in Colorado already, it can bring in a lot of money which can go to improving cities, roads, etc. The problem is that the government doesn't want it to be federally legal, even though at least decriminalizing it would help massively free up the prison system full of people arrested for possession of marijuana. (Oh hey, you got a few grams of pot on you? Get in the prison cell with the murderers and sex offenders. Yeah, fuck that.) More than 50% of Americans approve of it being legalized. But the government thinks weed is a 'gateway' to the other drugs (my ass, I haven't had a thought of doing anything else but weed) which can be problematic. And then there is the issue of kids smoking it (news flash: they do already) which I don't really approve of at the grades they start at today (but then again, they smoke cigs at like 6th grade now. Who's to blame? Parenting? Or all of the money being spent by the tobacco industry on those ads? Or maybe it's all of those rap videos they watch.).

The point is, this is a good step in the right direction. I'm not sure what kind of impact it'll have in the first years, but it shows that the companies do care about the health of others enough that they will forgo a potential millions and millions of dollars per year spent by people buying cigarettes. But the real question is, will others as well? Or will they continue to let American citizens smoke their life away (literally) every day they come in to buy another pack?

[Brandon]

A tangential thought I had today...
How much land is used to grow tobacco? What could that land be used for instead that might be more productive?

Google answers the first question: 3.8 million hectares worldwide. As for the second, one answer that may or may not be smartassed depending on how you look at it would be "growing hemp". (note that I say "hemp", not "marijuana" - it has uses other than for smoking, such as making paper and fabric)

How about food crops? You know, since the world has so many malnourished people?

Don't get me started on that.  There are plenty of countries out there that could easily grow food for themselves but instead decided to screw over anyone in them who knows how to farm (look at Zimbabwe).

[jeffandnicole]

Cigs at CVS are like a convenience item. If you're already in there purchasing other stuff, people that smoke are likely to ask for pack/carton while they're there.  Chances are, people aren't going to CVS just to purchase tobacco products.

NJ Liquor License rules can be a bit confusing.  It is possible for CVS to sell beer/liquor, but state law will only permit 2 licenses to any one owner.  CVS, because it woudn't make sense to have different rules in place for just 2 stores, may have decided it's not worth the time/energy to invest in the licenses. Rite Aid must've determined at one point that it was worth the time to do so, if at least one of their stores sells beer/liquor.

In cases where there are more than 2 (such as Canals, Joe Canals, etc), the owners are actually different people; and they simply buy into the Canals franchise for the name.  Other example is Sams Club: 2 stores in the state actually own the license and sell beer/liquor throughout the store.  Other Sams Clubs sell beer/liquor, but it's sold separately in a separate area of the store, because it's a private store within the store.  The Wegmans in the Princeton area sells beer/liquor throughout the store; the Wegmans in Cherry Hill has a separate store, owned by someone else using the Wegmans label.  Some bars can sell beer/liquor for takeout as well utilizing older licenses.

Some people think beer/liquor must be sold in a private store, but NJ laws don't absolutely require that.  Municipality rules may differ however.