Pharmacy’s Efforts Significantly Reduces the Purchase of Cigarettes in the US

The current trending topic all over the world is the “ways to quit smoking”. Recently it appears that large drugstore chains can significantly contribute to help people to quit smoking.CVS, one of the country's biggest pharmacies in the US claimed that cigarette sales across all retailers have dropped in 13 states after it has stopped selling cigarettes from last year.

The company said, “ Its decision to stop selling tobacco products has led to a drop in U.S. tobacco sales reducing purchases by 95 million packs in all retailers.”

Across all the 13 states, people brought less than five packs of cigarettes over the eight month-period after the company pulled off cigarettes from its shelves.

"Those who were saying it won't make any difference because those people will get cigarettes elsewhere were wrong," said Troyen Brennan, CVS Health chief medical officer.

Initially experts doubted that whether the move by CVS will have any effect but after they saw this positive results many organizations have started to ask other pharmacies to follow the same.

"I think people would be surprised that a single store, even one as large as CVS, could have a direct and measurable effect on tobacco use in the community in which it has a significant presence," said Matthew Myers, president, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. He also added that his organization will be calling for other major retailers to follow CVS's lead.

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also announced that the smoking rate in the U.S. has dropped to 15 percent in the first quarter of 2015, a drop from a smoking rate of 16.8 percent last year.

Source-Medindia