Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Congratulations! We’re happy you quit, CVS.

Michael H. Baumann, MD
Conditions
February 6, 2014
Share
Tweet
Share

CHEST_sig_horiz_PMS-TMIn a landmark declaration on Wednesday, CVS Caremark announced that by October 2014, the company will no longer sell tobacco products in its stores. The company’s CEO, Larry J. Merlo said in a statement, “Put simply, the sale of tobacco products is inconsistent with our purpose.”

We’ve known for years the dangers of tobacco and cigarette smoking. And the documented risks grew even more last month when the Surgeon General released “The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General, 2014″ in January. Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States. And more than 480,000 people die each year as a result of smoking-related disease. Limiting access to tobacco products is a step in the right direction to solve this problem.

We see month after month and study after study in CHEST, JAMA, The Lancet, and others tying tobacco use more closely to another disease or an increased risk for death. As medical professionals, we see the results, know the dangers, and also understand how hard it is for patients to quit. Coincidentally, our Second Opinion cartoon in the February issue of CHEST deals with just this issue.

Second Opinion CHEST February 2014
Copyright February 2014, Reprinted with permission of Rob Rogers.

A pharmacy’s role in treatment and preventative care is important. Our patients seek out a pharmacy for medications and health-care resources only to be smacked with a colorful display of tobacco products at checkout. The contradiction of a health-care establishment selling tobacco products is hard to ignore.

Quitting is hard — for those who use tobacco and for those who sell it. The addictive nature of nicotine is clear, and selling tobacco is a lucrative business. We understand the financial hit associated with a no-tobacco retailer. But we commend CVS for taking a stand on the issue and siding with the health of patients.

It has been an exciting week with the launch of the FDA’s first anti-tobacco campaign aimed at teenagers. And now this announcement from CVS. We’d love to see other retailers follow suit and halt the sale of tobacco products and make the pharmacy a true place of wellness.

What do you think? Are we moving the needle?

Michael H. Baumann is president, American College of Chest Physicians.

Prev

Did a New York Times column unfairly attack ER doctors?

February 6, 2014 Kevin 4
…
Next

Why doctors and hospitals shouldn't advertise

February 6, 2014 Kevin 25
…

Tagged as: Pulmonology

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Did a New York Times column unfairly attack ER doctors?
Next Post >
Why doctors and hospitals shouldn't advertise

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

More in Conditions

  • What if medicine had an exit interview?

    Lynn McComas, DNP, ANP-C
  • Finding healing in narrative medicine: When words replace silence

    Michele Luckenbaugh
  • Why coaching is not a substitute for psychotherapy

    Maire Daugharty, MD
  • Why doctors stay silent about preventable harm

    Jenny Shields, PhD
  • Why gambling addiction is America’s next health crisis

    Safina Adatia, MD
  • How robotics are reshaping the future of vascular procedures

    David Fischel
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • 2 hours to decide my future: How the SOAP residency match traps future doctors

      Nicolette V. S. Sewall, MD, MPH | Education
    • Why removing fluoride from water is a public health disaster

      Steven J. Katz, DDS | Conditions
    • When did we start treating our lives like trauma?

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • In a fractured world, Brian Wilson’s message still heals

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Adriana Smith’s story: a medical tragedy under heartbeat laws

      Nicole M. King, MD | Physician
    • How doctors took back control from hospital executives

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Why shared decision-making in medicine often fails

      M. Bennet Broner, PhD | Conditions
    • My journey from misdiagnosis to living fully with APBD

      Jeff Cooper | Conditions
    • Why we fear being forgotten more than death itself

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Adriana Smith’s story: a medical tragedy under heartbeat laws

      Nicole M. King, MD | Physician
    • What if medicine had an exit interview?

      Lynn McComas, DNP, ANP-C | Conditions
    • Why U.S. health care pricing is so confusing—and how to fix it

      Ashish Mandavia, MD | Physician
    • From survival to sovereignty: What 35 years in the ER taught me about identity, mortality, and redemption

      Kenneth Ro, MD | Physician
    • When doctors forget how to examine: the danger of lost clinical skills

      Mike Stillman, MD | Physician
    • When your dream job becomes a nightmare [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 6 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • 2 hours to decide my future: How the SOAP residency match traps future doctors

      Nicolette V. S. Sewall, MD, MPH | Education
    • Why removing fluoride from water is a public health disaster

      Steven J. Katz, DDS | Conditions
    • When did we start treating our lives like trauma?

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • In a fractured world, Brian Wilson’s message still heals

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Adriana Smith’s story: a medical tragedy under heartbeat laws

      Nicole M. King, MD | Physician
    • How doctors took back control from hospital executives

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Why shared decision-making in medicine often fails

      M. Bennet Broner, PhD | Conditions
    • My journey from misdiagnosis to living fully with APBD

      Jeff Cooper | Conditions
    • Why we fear being forgotten more than death itself

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Adriana Smith’s story: a medical tragedy under heartbeat laws

      Nicole M. King, MD | Physician
    • What if medicine had an exit interview?

      Lynn McComas, DNP, ANP-C | Conditions
    • Why U.S. health care pricing is so confusing—and how to fix it

      Ashish Mandavia, MD | Physician
    • From survival to sovereignty: What 35 years in the ER taught me about identity, mortality, and redemption

      Kenneth Ro, MD | Physician
    • When doctors forget how to examine: the danger of lost clinical skills

      Mike Stillman, MD | Physician
    • When your dream job becomes a nightmare [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Congratulations! We’re happy you quit, CVS.
6 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...