WOONSOCKET, R.I., Sept. 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Health (NYSE:
CVS) today marked the first anniversary of ending tobacco sales at
CVS/pharmacy by releasing new data showing a measurable
reduction in cigarette purchases over the past year. The company
also announced it is renewing its commitment to creating a
tobacco-free generation through a joint initiative between CVS
Health, its Foundation and Scholastic to launch a school-based
tobacco-prevention program.
"One year ago, we stopped selling tobacco products because it
conflicted with our purpose of helping people on their path to
better health," said Troyen A. Brennan, M.D., M.P.H., Chief Medical
Officer, CVS Health. "Today, we are excited to release new data
demonstrating the positive impact our decision has had on public
health overall as shown by a measurable decrease in the number of
cigarette purchases across all retailers."
The study, conducted by the CVS Health Research Institute,
evaluated cigarette pack purchases at drug, food, big box, dollar,
convenience and gas station retailers in the eight months after
CVS/pharmacy stopped selling tobacco products. The study found an
additional one percent reduction in cigarette pack sales in states
where CVS/pharmacy had a 15 percent or greater share of the retail
pharmacy market, compared to states with no CVS/pharmacy stores.
Over the same eight-month period, the average smoker in these
states purchased five fewer cigarette packs and, in total,
approximately 95 million fewer packs were sold.
Further bolstering the impact of CVS/pharmacy's tobacco removal,
the CVS Health Research Institute study showed a four percent
increase in nicotine patch purchases in the states with a
CVS/pharmacy market share of 15 percent of more, in the period
immediately following the end of tobacco sales. This indicates that
there was also a positive effect on attempts to quit smoking.
"We know that more than two-thirds of smokers want to quit – and
that half of smokers try to quit each year. We also know that
cigarette purchases are often spontaneous. And so we reasoned that
removing a convenient location to buy cigarettes could decrease
overall tobacco use," Brennan said. "This new data
demonstrates that CVS Health's decision to stop selling tobacco did
indeed have a real public health impact."
The impact of CVS Health's tobacco cessation efforts can also be
measured in the reach of its pharmacists and nurse practitioners,
who have worked to support customers' efforts to quit smoking.
Since September 3, 2014, the average
number of MinuteClinic "Start to Stop" smoking cessation visits
conducted per month nearly doubled. CVS pharmacists counseled more
than 260,000 patients about smoking cessation and filled nearly
600,000 nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) prescriptions. The
company also distributed millions of smoking cessation
informational brochures and hundreds of thousands of "Last Pack"
toolkits, and educated more than one million people via its Online
Cessation Hub on CVS.com.
In the year since removing tobacco products, CVS Health also
made a significant commitment to philanthropic giving and strategic
partnerships, pledging more than $1
million in corporate grants to tobacco cessation and
prevention programs. CVS Health and its Foundation also built on
partnerships with organizations leading the fight against tobacco
and supporting those living with its health consequences including
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Stand Up To Cancer, and American
Lung Association's LUNGFORCE.
In celebration of the past year's success, CVS Health has made
new commitments to further its impact in the coming years. Today,
CVS Health and its Foundation also announced a strategic initiative
with Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and
media company, to introduce a new, school-based program aimed at
preventing youth smoking and teaching children about the health
consequences of tobacco use.
"Over the last year, CVS Health has created partnerships with
community organizations across the country that are dedicated to
helping people quit smoking and communicating the importance of
never starting tobacco use," said Eileen
Howard Boone, Senior Vice President, Corporate Social
Responsibility and Philanthropy, CVS Health and President, CVS
Health Foundation. "Today, we are proud to mark our one-year
anniversary by building on our commitment to be a meaningful part
of the effort to make the next generation tobacco-free. By
partnering with an expert in education to launch this new program,
we will reach millions of kids across the country with critical
tobacco-prevention education."
The program will reach nearly three million children in grades
three, four and five when it begins this fall, with a second
component offered in some pilot markets for young adults in grades
six and seven to be introduced in early 2016. It will include
classroom resources for teachers and students as well as take-home
components that give parents the opportunity to talk to their
children about smoking. The middle school component will include a
student engagement program, with the chance to receive incentives
such as scholarships and youth-focused community
training.
About CVS Health
CVS Health is a pharmacy innovation
company helping people on their path to better health. Through its
7,800 retail pharmacies, nearly 1,000 walk-in medical clinics, a
leading pharmacy benefits manager with more than 70 million plan
members, and expanding specialty pharmacy services, the company
enables people, businesses and communities to manage health in more
affordable, effective ways. This unique integrated model increases
access to quality care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers
overall health care costs. Find more information about how CVS
Health is shaping the future of health
at www.cvshealth.com.
Media Contacts:
Erin Shields Britt
(401) 770-9237
Erin.Britt@CVSHealth.com
Carolyn Castel
(401) 770-5717
Carolyn.Castel@CVSHealth.com
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SOURCE CVS Health