January 1, Just In: Grocery Chain Bans Tobacco to Promote Health or Control Choices

In yet another move to meddle in consumers’ choices, the Northeast grocer Stop & Shop has decided to phase out the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products by August 31. This decision is part of what they claim to be their “commitment to community wellness.”

Stop & Shop President Gordon Reid proudly declared that the grocery chain aims to support the health and well-being of the neighborhoods it serves through this move. He touted the company’s free nutritional services and pharmacy recommendations as proof of their dedication to customers’ health.

The American Cancer Society chimed in, celebrating this as a victory against Big Tobacco’s influence on younger generations. They urged state lawmakers to increase funding for tobacco control programs to help more people quit smoking, implying that more government intervention is necessary.

Katie Thornell, the company’s director of pharmacy, boasted that Stop & Shop’s licensed pharmacists can offer advice on quitting smoking and immunization recommendations for smokers.

Stop & Shop joins a list of other companies that have previously abandoned tobacco sales—including Walmart in 2019, Target way back in 1996, and CVS, which went tobacco-free in 2014.

CVS has been keen on pushing its anti-tobacco stance, with claims of selling 100 million fewer packs of cigarettes since its ban and investing $50 million in their Be the First initiative to cultivate a tobacco-free generation.

HeraldPR CEO Juda Engelmayer suggested that the grocer’s move is a ploy to appeal to clients who idealize their grocery store as a bastion of organic and local produce, philanthropy, and responsible activities. Engelmayer did concede that it might give Stop & Shop an edge in the competitive grocery market.

Dr. Pat Basu also jumped on the bandwagon, calling the decision a “no-brainer” for public health and business. He reiterated the widely known health risks associated with tobacco, framing the decision as an obvious necessity for a chain that seeks to provide healthy options to its community.

Sure, these companies tout their concern for public health, but one can’t help but wonder where the line will be drawn. First, it’s tobacco—what’s next? When do we, as consumers, get to make our own choices without corporations and government steering our habits under the guise of wellness?

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