P.I. Pulse: CVS Bans Cigarette Sales

A pharmacy (a store that, in its simplest form, dispenses medicine to promote health) banning the sale of cigarettes seems like a no-brainer. But CVS is far more than your average pharmacy – it serves customers looking to pick-up a wide range of products including greeting cards, essential groceries, basic clothing, electronics, school supplies, makeup, hygiene essentials, vitamins, cold medicine, and, yes, prescription drugs. CVS Pharmacy, the division of CVS Caremark Corporation with which almost every American is familiar, saw an annual revenue last year of far more than $100 billion. With more than 7,600 locations, it isn’t surprising that CVS is the largest pharmacy chain in the U.S.

What is surprising is that on Wednesday, February 5^th, CVS became the first major pharmacy chain that announced it would ban the sale of cigarettes, which brings in roughly $2 billion per year for CVS. The company said that the move was the right one to make, despite the fact that it might hurt initially. CVS hopes that it is “setting an example,” according to this CNN Money article, in barring the sale of cigarettes, which, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), cause more than 440,000 deaths each year in America – that’s 1 out of every 5 deaths each year.

CVS’ honorable move to restrict access to the carcinogens contained in cigarettes is a testament to the deadly nature of the tobacco trade.

As personal injury attorneys, those who practice in our field of law represent people who have been injured due to the wrongdoing of others – whether that wrongdoing came in the form of reckless driving, thoughtless store management, or careless commercial enterprise. It should come as no surprise that one of the industries that has been hammered with lawsuits filed by plaintiff’s lawyers in the recent past is the tobacco industry who, despite scientific evidence linking consumption of their product with the development of cancer, heart diseases, etc., continues to peddle the toxic product into the economy; even more surprisingly, they continue to defend themselves so vigorously against charges of negligence.

Tobacco companies and other companies whose products inflict pain and suffering on those who consume them should be held liable for the suffering they case. A “free market” does not mean that anything goes. There are a great many products that are heavily restricted and even banned from legal sale specifically because of the harm they cause. But the tobacco industry pushes so many millions of dollars into Washington, D.C. that legislation geared at seriously curbing the trade is likely not a part of our foreseeable future. Nevertheless, as long as dangerous products such as cigarettes are stocked on shelves and aggressively advertised to young people and individuals who have already become addicted to cigarettes, personal injury lawyers will continue to represent the victims of the tobacco industry.

If you or a loved one has developed a sickness or disease due to the use of tobacco products, please contact us at the Law Offices of Aronberg & Aronberg. To schedule a free consultation, and to see how we can help you, please call us at 561-266-9191 or e-mail us at daronberg@build.simple.biz. 

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