WOONSOCKET, R.I., Sept. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As the
nation's first and only national pharmacy chain to have eliminated
the sale of cigarettes and other harmful tobacco products from its
retail stores – and having never sold e-cigarettes and vaping
devices – CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) today applauded the enforcement
actions taken by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to
curtail the sale and marketing of e-cigarettes to the nation's
youth.
"We applaud the historic enforcement actions announced today by
FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb,
and believe they represent the most important step the agency has
taken to date to curtail youth use of e-cigarettes and flavored
nicotine products," said Troyen Brennan, M.D., M.P.H. and Chief
Medical Officer for CVS Health. "We hope the actions taken today by
the FDA will reduce the number of people that are exposed to
tobacco and other harmful products, which can reduce the prevalence
of tobacco-related diseases including lung cancer, heart disease
and stroke and make a significant impact on the health of our next
generation."
In 2014, CVS Health announced its decision to stop selling
cigarettes in all CVS Pharmacy stores, making the company the first
national pharmacy chain to take this step in support of the health
of its patients and customers. In the eight months following the
company's exit from tobacco, smokers in states where CVS Pharmacy
had a 15 percent or greater share of the retail pharmacy market
purchased 95 million fewer packs of cigarettes. The company also
saw a four percent increase in nicotine patch purchases in the
states with a CVS Pharmacy market share of 15 percent or more, in
the period immediately following the end of tobacco sales. Most
recently, findings showing that customers who had purchased
cigarettes exclusively at CVS Pharmacy were 38 percent more likely
to stop buying, and presumably stop using, cigarettes altogether
were published in the American Journal of Public Health. This
research confirmed that the company's decision had a powerful
public health impact by disrupting access to cigarettes and helping
more of our customers on their path to better health.
Recognizing the impact it could have on reducing smoking and
tobacco use in the country, CVS Health followed up its actions with
BE THE FIRST, a five-year $50
million initiative to help deliver the nation's first
tobacco-free generation. Since it was introduced, BE THE
FIRST has delivered meaningful support to the country's ongoing
efforts to prevent smoking and nicotine addiction among youth which
is critical to ending tobacco use in the
United States. By funding programs with the nation's leading
tobacco control advocates, including the American Cancer Society,
American Lung Association, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, CATCH
Global Foundation and Truth Initiative, CVS Health and the CVS
Health Foundation has helped reach more than 4 million young people
with effective anti-smoking education and healthy behavior
programming and is helping 146 colleges and universities advocate
for, adopt and implement tobacco-free campus policies.
"We're encouraged by our contributions to a continuing decline
in youth smoking rates, however far too many young people are still
using a variety of harmful tobacco and nicotine products, such as
e-cigarettes and vapes, that facilitate initiation of tobacco use,"
added Brennan.
About CVS Health
CVS Health is a pharmacy innovation company helping people on
their path to better health. Through its more than 9,800 retail
locations, more than 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading
pharmacy benefits manager with approximately 94 million plan
members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more
than one million patients per year, expanding specialty pharmacy
services, and a leading stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription
drug plan, the company enables people, businesses and communities
to manage health in more affordable and effective ways. This unique
integrated model increases access to quality care, delivers better
health outcomes and lowers overall health care costs. Find more
information about how CVS Health is shaping the future of health at
https://www.cvshealth.com.
Contacts:
Media Contact:
Joe Goode, 401-770-9820
Joseph.Goode@CVSHealth.com
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SOURCE CVS Health