America’s largest drugstore, CVS pharmacy, recently vowed to make a drastic change for 2014: The pharmacy chain will no longer sell tobacco or tobacco products.
Larry J. Merlo, president and CEO of CVS Caremark, the parent company of CVS stores, said in a statement “the sale of tobacco products is inconsistent with our purpose,” which is to “help people on their path to better health.” Though the change may seem like a progressive step toward improving wellness in America, it is important to assess if it will really benefit us.
The change reminds us that smoking is still a major health issue in our country and it begs the question of whether it will help Americans, or even just CVS customers, to quit smoking, thereby improving their health. The answer is no. As it is, most cigarettes are purchased from convenience stores anyway, not pharmacies. CVS tobacco sales make up a small portion of the total sales of the tobacco industry; therefore, the decision will not have a noticeable impact on the industry itself.
Furthermore, people who are addicted to cigarettes and who don’t feel the need to quit using tobacco products will simply buy their desired goods elsewhere. Major retailers like dollar stores have recently taken advantage of tobacco sales, so it is unlikely tobacco users will decide to quit smoking just because CVS no longer sells the products they crave. Though there will be no discernible change in the lives of tobacco users, there will be a negative impact on CVS. It is estimated that CVS will lose $2 billion as a result of the elimination of tobacco products from sales. That kind of loss would not be crippling, but it could mean a slight rise in CVS’ prices to make up the difference.
Perhaps the most troubling aspect of CVS’ decision to stop selling tobacco products is the hypocritical nature of its reasoning for the change. Merlo said CVS employs “26,000 pharmacists and nurse practitioners … (who) manage conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes — all conditions that are worsened by smoking.” Smoking is a major problem in the United States, but Merlo fails to point out that there are other factors that cause these health concerns. If CVS wants to lead their customers on a “path to better health” by helping them avoid these conditions, the company should focus on targeting the other health problems that are devastating America.
In 2000, smoking was shown to be the cause of 435,000 deaths in the United States, and recent numbers are closer to 480,000. But America’s second-largest health problem was obesity, which caused approximately 400,000 deaths in 2000. CVS stores sell an abundance of unhealthy food items — from candy and chips to soda and alcoholic beverages — all of which cause obesity. Moreover, obesity has been shown to cause high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease, as well as diabetes and some cancers. Because obesity rates have been increasing in recent years and smoking rates have been dropping, obesity is expected to surpass smoking as America’s number one killer.
CVS Caremark must realize that smoking and the use of tobacco products are not the only negative health behaviors its stores are promoting. If the company truly wants to promote total health and wellness for its customers, then it must take a wider stance against unhealthy food items that cause obesity and other chronic diseases. Until these steps are taken, CVS will not be a making an outstandingly positive difference in its customers’ lives.
Katy Vines is a Weinberg freshman. She can be reached at [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected].
