Friday, April 4, 2014

CVS to Stop Selling Tobacco Products

CVS, a large chain health pharmacy, has announced that it will stop selling tobacco products at the end of the year.


In recent jaw-dropping news, CVS, a pharmacy focused on health and wellness, has just announced they will stop selling tobacco products in their stores by October 1st.  According to CVS, the product does not align with their mission of providing health services to the public.   When such a dramatic announcement is made, it is important to consider all aspects of public relations, with online reputation being a one of them.  CVS would benefit from the reputation management services of Centel Media™, a top online reputation management company, in order to monitor and manage the press after such a large public announcement.  Centel Media™ online reputation management services offer tools that allow a customer to track and manage online reputation, in real time, at their own convenience.


This is no small announcement, as CVS receives $2 billion a year from tobacco customers, which may cause shares of CVS will go down a substantiable amount. It still yet to be seen whether other pharmacies will follow by attempting the same stunt.  If CVS manages to continue its recent profitable path, others will probably march the same path. As CVS is the first to try this, none will be as jarring or create such a media blitz as this recent announcement.


In addition to stopping the sale of tobacco products, CVS will be creating a stop-smoking program later this year. Resources will be available in-store and online.  The sale of tobacco cessation products, such as nicotine patches, will continue to be sold in stores.


Hopefully, this move by CVS will hopefully have a domino effect on the health of the general public. Tobacco use causes premature death such as cancer, heart disease, and respiratory disease.  According to the CDC, one in every five deaths is a result of cigarette smoking, and tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the US. Almost half a million people in the US die every year from smoking, including second-hand smoke.


CVS has received an overwhelming amount of public support, but online reputation is notoriously fickle. It is important that they continue to represent themselves in such a positive manner, and continue to manage their online reputation through companies such as Centel Media™. Way to go, CVS, for putting your companys’ morals ahead of profit margins.


Renee Miller,
Creative Writer,
Jonathan Wong,
Editor-in-Chief,



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