CVS, ciggies, and Obama

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First of all, I don't judge people who smoke…they are free to do as they please. If you want to destroy your health, that's your business. As long as I'm not forced to inhale 2nd-hand smoke and destroy my own health thereby, we're good. I DO, however, hold a moral belief that it is wrong to behave self-destructively, to include excessive alcohol, addictive drugs, and (you guessed it) smoking. That's a personal thing, and you can do whatever you want, and I'll tolerate you smoking around me as long as you tolerate hearing me say (at most one time) "You know those things'll kill ya, right?"

Now, to the points…

1. I was pleased to hear that CVS will phase out cigarette sales. I think it's AWESOME that here's a business willing to take an enormous risk to profits and shareholders in taking a stand against destructive addictions or habits.

2. I was DISPLEASED to find so many freakin' haters out there, as though CVS is somehow opposing their freedom to destroy themselves. CVS is a business, and they are free to conduct their business as they so choose, which may or may not include being purveyors of tobacco products. Look, you don't like that you can't buy ciggies from CVS? Go freakin' somewhere else!! ! It's not that hard…you have smoke shops on every street corner where I live. You might criticize CVS from a business standpoint, that is, they are taking an unnecessary risk. But if they're changing policy or business practices in such a way that might potentially ruin them (at worst), they are STILL free to do that.

3. I was ESPECIALLY displeased that there are so many Conservatives out there who are so quick to take sides with haters. Republicans, of all people, as champions of personal freedoms and freedom to do business as we see fit, shouldn't be so hasty to criticize CVS for choosing not to carry a product that contradicts their corporate mission to improve community health, or at least to not contribute to public detriment.

4. I was surprisingly pleased that Obama praised CVS for their efforts and their courage in this matter. As opposed as I am to Obama's policies and the lack of truth in this administration, he finally got something right.

Now, given these key points--most importantly that CVS is choosing NOT to carry a product they believe to be objectionable or contrary to their mission, and that Obama is praising them for standing on principle rather than continuing to bend to public or commercial pressures…

…does this mean that the Federal government is going to drop lawsuits against companies who, on personal or religious convictions, are refusing to include birth control and/or abortion services, etc., on their company insurance policies?

Does this also mean that small businesses who provide certain services can be exempted from discrimination charges when refusing to support morally objectionable activities/activities that are religiously offensive?

I haven't really heard much conservative complaints over this. It's the free market at work, after all. A corporation made a decision, and they were free to make it.

CVS is free to carry whatever products they want but I wouldn't go overboard with praise considering they still carry a wide range of liquor and junk food.

Excellent point, Jacoby. I like CVS for one simple reason: You don't have to ASK for condoms when you need them, whereas they're behind the register at Walgreens. I terribly weirded out even having to buy condoms, but having to announce to the whole world "Hey! I'm probably getting laid tonight and I'm buying protection!! !" just isn't my idea of fun. Obvious things aside, it somewhat helps that I only have to do this a couple of times a year.

However, I think they're going in a positive direction. I still don't get why it's OK if they stop selling cigarettes but people who object to birth control and abortion can't opt out in their employer-provided insurance plans. CVS can do business how they wish, but Hobby Lobby CAN'T? I don't get it. Let's get these lawsuits dropped, and stop charging wedding cake makers with discrimination.

Well, the requirement for contraceptive coverage is a federal law.

There is no federal law requiring CVS to sell cigarettes.

I'm surprised that your Walgreens has the condoms behind the counter. Maybe it is a southern-culture thing. Or, maybe they think that kids will steal them. Walgreens stores here have them out in the open. But, here, the cigarettes are strictly behind-the-counter.

http://www.wired.com/business/2014/02/a ... igarettes/

An article which says that CVS is trying to rebrand itself as a something of a "one-stop shop" for health, and getting rid of the cigarettes is consistent with that rebranding. Trying to stay ahead of Amazon.

If CVS is going to stop selling cigarettes it's only because there is no longer enough profit in selling them.
They are a business, after all.

According to them they anticipate losing 2 billion in sales per year, though that's only a fraction of their overall annual revenue.

Whatever.
If they've dropped cigarette sales it can only be because:
- No longer enough profit to justify selling them
- In the anticipation of appealing to all the health nazis who will come to them just on the principle that they no longer sell cigarettes, thus increasing sales revenue

CVS refusing to cell cigarettes is in violation of smokers' rights. It's discrimination against smokers. We have a constitutional right to smoke, goshdarnit!! !

Condoms are often put behind the counter and locked up because they are so frequently shoplifted. I've seen it up north and out west as well, I suspect it's the same everywhere.

I reject your reality and substitute my own.

Which is reassuring to me, since having my reality accepted by a liberal could only mean that it is flawed from a conservative perspective.

It does seem like a version of the latter. It's not that there isn't large profit in cigarettes. But rather that they are hoping to rebrand themselves as a health care store and cigarettes aren't consistent with that. It's a tricky thing because they do sell mountains of candy/chips/horrific junkfood which is also not consistent with that but I think they are depending on perception. Cigarettes just seem to ping the "anti-health" alarm a lot louder than unhealthy snacks. I don't think people will come to them who weren't previously (health nazis were probably shopping there already since they do have a large line of affordable vitamins) but that people won't get cognitive dissonance buying aspirin and asthma inhalers right where cigs are sold.

Were people getting cognitive dissonance? I guess they must have been, or CVS anticipates they will be in the future as it moves more towards the in-store health care practioning they are doing. They have blood pressure cuffs you can use in the store and they give flu shots and they have the pharmacy so maybe they are trying to segue into a health clinic that also sells toothpaste and junk food. To stay in business they have to sell stuff you can't get at Amazon (per the article AP linked) so maybe they want it to be more about the flu shots and assorted OTC medicines to keep people from buying everything they need at Amazon.

Whatever their publicized rationale is, it ultimately comes down to dollars and cents. If this decision turns out to bite them in the wallet, they'll likely (but quietly) go back to carrying cigarettes in their inventory. I think they're just following the anti-smoking trend in hopes of making out even better on selling other products which will probably be the case for them. Personally, I don't care one way or the other if they sell cigarettes or not.

It is a gamble but not an irreversible one. You are right they can quietly go back to selling cigs if it bites them in the wallet. If I was high up in the company I would trial this in a few stores and see how it plays out. The potential loss isn't just the cigs themselves but also the items that people bought while going in to primarily buy cigs.

Maybe they looked at the numbers (if they can break the numbers down this way) and discovered that people will pop in and out and just buy cigs without buying much of anything else but people who come in for health stuff (like picking up a prescription) buy other health stuff while there. I don't smoke so I don't know if smokers are more likely to have cigs be one item amongst many they buy or if it is more a pop-in, pop-out buy nothing else thing. If people do load cigs on top of everything else they are buying, CVS is also gambling that wherever else they go to buy cigs instead will not have a bunch of stuff they need.

CVS seems to thrive on "might as well get it while I'm here" purchases so it is a gamble that wherever else the smokers shop to get cigs won't turn into their new "might as well get it while I'm here" stop.

It's fascinating. Internet shopping (and especially Amazon) has changed all the rules.