CVS Caremark plans to stop selling tobacco products

CVS Caremark, which operates 50 pharmacy stores in West Virginia, announced Wednesday it will stop selling cigarettes and tobacco products at its 7,600 U.S. stores by Oct. 1.
The largest provider of prescription medications in U.S., the company said the sale of cigarettes and other products was inconsistent with its broader purpose of providing access to products and services designed to improve customers' health and wellbeing.L&M Red Label
"Tobacco products have no place in a setting where health care is delivered," Larry Merlo, president and CEO of CVS Caremark, said in a video statement announcing the decision.
Woonsocket, R.I.-based CVS will be the first national pharmacy chain to pull tobacco products from its shelves. In addition, the company plans to launch a national smoking cessation program this spring to help consumers kick the habit.
"As a leader of the health care community focused on improving health outcomes, we are pledging to help millions of Americans quit smoking," Merlo said. The move will hit the CVS' bottom line. The company estimates it will lose approximately $2 billion in annual revenue from tobacco shoppers, reducing its annual profits by about 17 cents a share. CVS said it its news release it has identified "incremental opportunities" that might offset that lost revenue.
Public health officials praised the company's move.
"We're really excited about this and commend CVS for taking this step and putting health ahead of immediate profits," said Cinny Kittle, director of the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free West Virginia.
"We're hoping this is a game-changer and might open the door and lead other businesses to do the same," she said.
Kittle also said she has seen a tremendous response to the company's decision on social media, with some saying they will be more likely to shop at the chain now. She said she hoped that type of public reaction will help offset some of the revenue the company will lose from tobacco sales.
"Hopefully the public will repay them," Kittle said.
While smoking among adults has been cut by more than half since the 1960s, smoking-related illnesses still account for more than 480,000 U.S. deaths each year, according to a recent report from the Office of the Surgeon General. Tobacco use accounts for $132 billion in direct medical costs and $157 billion in lost productivity each year, the report said.
In West Virginia, which has one of the highest rates of use in the nation, tobacco use is the leading cause of death and disease and costs about $2 billion in medical expenses and lost productivity each year, according to data from the state Division of Tobacco Prevention.
Nearly 4,000 state residents die each year from tobacco - or secondhand smoke-related illnesses. On average, a West Virginia smoker will die 14 years earlier than expected due to the toll tobacco takes on their health.
Research has shown the number of tobacco stores in a given area can increase the rate of tobacco use. A study published by the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health in 2009 study published in the Journal of a person has higher odds of becoming a smoker when more stores in their area are sell tobacco products.

I don't smoke, but my boyfriend does. I really want to help him stop smoking — what can I do?

I don't smoke, but my boyfriend does. I really want to help him stop smoking — what can I do?
- Abby*
For you to help your boyfriend quit smoking, he has to want to quit. Because nicotine is addictive, quitting can be difficult. But you can suggest some things that may help him. Just knowing that he has your support can make him more likely to succeed.
Offer to help your boyfriend devise a plan for quitting. This might mean choosing a stop date, encouraging him to speak to his doctor about a nicotine replacement, helping him to stay focused once he stops, and figuring out a good way to reward himself when he reaches different points.
It can be helpful to have several smaller goals to work toward — such as 2 weeks, 1 month, and 2 months without smoking. You can also help your boyfriend by avoiding things that previously have triggered him to smoke — like visiting a certain friend's house. Remind him (without nagging or preaching) of the benefits of quitting, including all the money he'll be able to save. And remember that ultimately he has to decide whether he's ready to quit — but your support and encouragement can make a difference.

Editorial: Anti-smoking efforts proved we can reverse ills

The effort to battle smoking in the United States began in earnest 50 years ago this past Saturday, when Surgeon General Luther Terry said that smoking was dangerous and urged action.
Today, the war against this leading preventable cause of death is far from over, but it has been largely successful, and that triumph offers important lessons about the power of government, science and persistent advocacy.
It's hard to imagine today, but in 1964 smoking was acceptable practically everywhere, from hospitals to airplanes to children's nurseries. About 42 percent of American adults smoked, and there were few meaningful restrictions on the ability of minors to buy tobacco. Athletes smoked. Doctors smoked. Many who didn't partake likely declined out of personal preference, rather than medical fear.

Why Is Smoking Bad For You?

Smoking is responsible for several diseases, such as cancer, long-term (chronic) respiratory diseases, and heart disease, as well as premature death. Over 440,000 people in the USA and 100,000 in the UK die because of smoking each year. According the US CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), $92 billion are lost each year from lost productivity resulting from smoking-related deaths.

Of the more than 2.4 million deaths in the USA annually, over 440,000 are caused by smoking.

Smoking is the largest cause of preventable death in the world. Recent studies have found that smokers can undermine the health of non-smokers in some environments.

In an article published online in Medical News Today on 30 May 2013, we presented data demonstrating that, on average, smokers die ten years sooner than non-smokers.Pall Mall cigarettes.

Smoking causes cancer

90% of lung cancer patients developed their disease because of smoking. Lung cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer deaths in the world. Smokers also have a significantly higher risk of developing:

• Bladder cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Cancers of the pharynx and larynx (throat cancer)
• Mouth cancer
• Esophagus cancer
• Cancer of the pancreas
• Stomach cancer
• Some types of leukemia
• Cancer of the nose and sinuses
• Cervical cancer
• Bowel cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• In some cases, also breast cancer

According to Cancer Research UK, one person dies every 15 minutes in Great Britain from lung cancer.

Smoking also raises the risk of cancer recurrences (the cancer coming back).

Why does smoking raise cancer risk?

Scientists say there are over 4,000 compounds in cigarette smoke. A sizeable number of them are toxic - they are bad for us and damage our cells. Some of them cause cancer - they are carcinogenic.

New store aims to decrease smoking, increase downtown traffic in Kilgore

Some people blow smoke, others blow vapor.
The vaping trend will make its way to downtown Kilgore soon with Wakie Taylor and husband Bandy Clinton’s new store, Innovapetions.
The term “vaping” is likely new to many in Taylor and Clinton’s native Kilgore, but it gives smokers an alternative to traditional cigarette smoking.
Although it will be a store to sell the personal vaporizers and accessories, the main goal for Taylor and Clinton is to spread awareness and educate people about vaping as an alternative to smoking.
“The products we sell are just a bonus to us,” she said. “The biggest benefit is just you’re saving lives.”
The action of smoking is there, but the only similarity to smoking is the nicotine.The cost of vaping is less than smoking, especially for people who might currently smoke multiple packs a week, Taylor said.
“Compared to smoking cigarettes, you’re going to save money for sure,” she said.

Before she quit after 17 years of smoking, Taylor said she was smoking one pack a day, and spending nearly $200 per month. With the vaporizer, Taylor said a starter kit will probably start at about $30 – for the vaporizer, a small e-liquid mixture, a battery and a charger – and it can go up from there.
Not only is vaping less expensive over time than regular cigarettes, but the vaporizers also contain four ingredients instead of the hundreds of chemicals in regular cigarettes, she says.
The four ingredients are combined to create an e-liquid used in the personal vaporizers. The liquid has a foodgrade base of either propylene glycol (PG) or vegetable glycerin (VG), which can be found in many personal care items. Some people are allergic to PG, though, so they can have a base made completely of VG, creating a similar base but without the allergen.
The base is then combined with three ingredients – nicotine, water and flavoring.
Some people will eventually find themselves ‘vaping’ with a mixture devoid of nicotine. These are usually people who were light smokers before becoming vapers or who have stepped down their nicotine intake to to a point at which they no longer need it. The vaporizers are not cessation devices, though, Taylor said.
She emphasized, though, that she was not encouraging non-smokers to try vaping for fun. They are promoting vaping as an alternative to smoking for people who are currently smokers.
With many different flavors to choose from, Taylor said she will blend the liquids in the store, so it will be whatever the customer needs. Rothmans cigarettes.
“You’re getting flavor plus the smell,” Clinton said. More cigarettes.
Taylor wants Innovapetions to be the go-to place for people looking to start vaping in Kilgore. The service and advice she and Clinton got at different vape stores when they first started was good, and she wants to continue that through their education on vaping, she said. It can be a little complicated at first, Taylor said.
“I will be here to help them understand how to use [their] equipment and how to use [their] e-liquid,” she said.
A lot of the learning is a hands-on process, Clinton said.
Taylor started vaping about a month ago, and she said she tried one of the tobacco company’s e-cigarettes. It did not have enough nicotine to curb her cigarette craving.
It is the customization and control Taylor has with her personal vaporizer that she likes best. She can choose the nicotine level in her vaporizer as well as the flavor.
The e-cigarettes from the major tobacco companies do not have the customization
The flavors will vary, but she does not know what flavors they will be offering yet.
“Everything is completely customizable,” Clinton said.
Taylor and Clinton have gotten positive feedback from the surrounding businesses and community, Taylor said.
Taylor plans to sell starter kits, “mods, and everything in between.”
At first, Taylor said she will put up a curtain to divide the room in half with only the front half open to the public. After they see the response, Taylor said she hopes to open the back half as a sitting and lounge area with Wi-Fi and a self-serve coffee bar.
“I’m hoping to get a lot of the college kids to come down here and stop smoking and switch to the alternative,” she said.
Although there are no regulations yet on who can buy personal vaporizers, Taylor said she decided her store would not sell vaporizers izers to anyone under 18 years old. And just like when trying to buy cigarettes, customers will have to present an I.D. to prove they are old enough to purchase a vaporizer.
“I don’t want a kid coming in here, buying them just because they’re cool, and then getting hooked on nicotine,” she said.
Taylor is working on purchasing inventory and will be setting up a website and Facebook for Innovapetions. In addition to an online presence, Clinton said he hopes news about the store’s opening will spread through word of mouth.
Clinton, a native of Kilgore, said he would love to see downtown grow, and said it would be great if Innovapetions tions could help the area grow.
“We want to have that warm, inviting, comforting feel when you come in,” Taylor said.

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Kennesaw proposal would ban smoking in most public places

Kennesaw could join a growing list of Georgia cities that have banned smoking nearly everywhere except private residences.

Last week, City Councilmember Dr. Cris Welsh introduced an ordinance that would ban smoking tobacco and e-cigarettes in public places.

"What we want to do is talk to our business owners, talk to our citizens and just begin the conversation -- see if this is something they would like to follow in the footsteps of Savannah, DeKalb County and other municipalities around us who have created a smoke-free environment for their citizens," said Welsh.

Unlike state law, Dr. Welsh's ordinance would ban smoking in bars, restaurants, public parks and all privately owned, indoor workplaces. The ban even includes e-cigarettes.

Dixie's Vapor Shop owner David Owens says no studies have proven that what comes out of an e-cigarette or vaporizer is harmful.

"It's a bi-product of the vegetable glycerin, which is basically a water vapor that you exhale, and very, very little of the nicotine is exhaled because most of it -- because it's vaporized -- is absorbed immediately into your system," said Owens.

Smokers think banning tobacco nearly everywhere except their homes is a violation of their rights as adults.

 "I believe much in tobacco, so I am very against this movement of people trying to ban smoking at public facilities," said John Fitzrobert Webb.

The proposal would severely limit the places smokers could light up.

"The places that we would be looking at are public parks, public buildings -- anywhere that children would be," Welsh said.

According to Welsh, Kennesaw says a vote on the draft ordinance won't come anytime soon. Last week was just initial presentation of the proposed smoking ban.