This month, Stop & Shop stores will stop selling all tobacco products, joining other major chains that have already stopped selling cigarettes.
The grocer, which has 360 stores in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey, plans to stop selling all tobacco products in all stores by August 31 as part of its commitment to the common good. The changes are part of its “commitment to the common good” and will stop selling all cigarettes and tobacco products on Saturday, August 31.
“Our responsibility as a grocer extends far beyond our shelves, and we are committed to taking bold steps to help our associates, customers and communities work toward better health outcomes,” Gordon Reid, president of Stop & Shop, said in a statement, according to a press release.
Public health officials have long called on retailers to stop selling tobacco products, and some cities and states have also banned tobacco sales in pharmacies. The American Cancer Society responded by saying it was “happy to partner” with Stop & Shop to stop sales.
“This is a step in the right direction toward ending the tobacco industry’s influence on children, and we know more can be done to reduce the burden of tobacco in our communities,” Karen Knudsen, CEO of the American Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, said in the statement. “We urge state lawmakers to prioritize funding for tobacco control programs so that those motivated to quit through these efforts have the tools they need to succeed.”
Previously, Walmart announced it would stop selling cigarettes in some of its U.S. stores in 2022. CVS stopped selling tobacco in 2014, saying it was “inconsistent with our purpose” as a healthcare provider. Target stopped selling tobacco in 1996.
