CVS Celebrates First Tobacco Sales Ban Anniversary: 95 MIllion Fewer Cigarette Packs Sold in US

Ever since it stopped selling tobacco last year, CVS saw a 1 percent reduction in sales, the company reported.

CVS Health stopped selling tobacco products citing conflict of interest. According to Reuters, its sales figures for the last one year recorded in a study show 1 percent decline in states where CVS/pharmacy has at least 15 percent retail market share. This reduction in sales implied 95 million fewer packets sold and the average smoker purchased five fewer packs.

"We know that more than two-thirds of smokers want to quit - and that half of smokers try to quit each year. We also know that cigarette purchases are often spontaneous. And so we reasoned that removing a convenient location to buy cigarettes could decrease overall tobacco use. This new data demonstrates that CVS Health's decision to stop selling tobacco did indeed have a real public health impact," Troyen A. Brennan, Chief Medical Officer at CVS Health said.

The data showed that the company's effort to help people quit smoking was reflected in 4 percent rise in number of nicotine patches sold alongside the decline in cigarette sales. Additionally, number of smokers attending smoking cessation counseling also doubled in the same period.

The company is now planning to reach out to children to make them aware about smoking.

"Today, we are proud to mark our one-year anniversary by building on our commitment to be a meaningful part of the effort to make the next generation tobacco-free. By partnering with an expert partner in education to launch this new program, we will reach millions of kids across the country with critical tobacco-prevention education," said aid Eileen Howard Boone, Senior Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility and Philanthropy, CVS Health and President, CVS Health Foundation.