I was pleasantly surprised last week when I read about CVS’s announcement that they would drop tobacco products from their lineup by October. The move was cheered by many, including the President, as a major step forward in reducing the smoking rate and smoking related diseases.
However, as promising as the announcement was, the retailer’s move away from tobacco is unlikely to have a significant impact on the smoking rate in the U.S. The inconvenience of having to purchase cigarettes at a different store just isn’t a compelling enough reason to convince many smokers to quit.
With that said, the move does lend more credibility to CVS’s efforts to rebrand itself as a health care provider, and it should increase pressure on other pharmacies to do the same. It’s hard for a pharmacy to convince people that they’re concerned about your health when they’re selling cigarettes on the other side of the store. While CVS’s initiative might create a promising trend, more can be done to reduce smoking related deaths and illnesses in the U.S. For example, other colleges should follow the lead of USC in adopting campus-wide smoking ban.
A change in mindset should also be adopted. Many teens and young adults go to great lengths to conceal their smoking habit from their parents and relatives out of fear of punishment. This behavior is unfortunate, as treatment, not punishment, is the most productive way of dealing with tobacco addiction. After all, smoking is a health problem, not a character flaw.
People should keep in mind the dangers of making decisions just to fit in. I’ve heard from many people that the reason they started smoking was because their friends were doing it, so they took up the habit as way of growing closer to the group. That’s okay if that’s what a person genuinely wants to do, but it’s important to keep in mind that nicotine addiction often outlasts friendships. Ultimately, it’s a personal choice whether to smoke or not, but hopefully factors such as CVS’s announcement and changes in public attitudes will all add up to make the decision less appealing.