In February, Wegmans, a grocery store chain in five north eastern states, stopped selling all tobacco products. We all know that after years of tobacco use, many different things can happen to the person smoking, chewing, or dipping...but they die. Slowly but surly, tobacco kills.
Now, some of you may be thinking the same thing many other people have: that people will just buy it elsewhere. And guess what? Most tobacco users didn't even get their smokes at Wegmans before they stopped selling in February in the first place. Why? Because Wegmans never allowed any pictures promoting tobacco products, and had to charge way more for them to make up for it. The reason Wegmans stopped selling this horrible carcinogen was not because they felt the lack of it would make people quit. That would be naive.
In the words of Danny Wegman, a Wegmans CEO, "As a company, we respect a person's right to smoke, but we also understand the destructive role smoking plays in health." This is just a company that truly cares about the health of their customers.
Following in Wegmans footsteps, DiCicco Family Markets also stopped selling tobacco products as well. "We hope this act will help improve quality of life and ultimately the health of our customers and staff. Additionally, we sincerely hope this decision will help discourage your children from ever starting," read a sign on the DiCicco Markets door.
It makes sense, children do go to the grocery store with their parents, and I'm wondering what I would think if I saw my mom pick up a pack in front of me.
I have to admit, I've been curious about what people thought of Wegmans doing this. Then I found this quote in a short article of the daily paper on the Wegmans in my area: "The reaction has been extremely positive. Customers were calling to say how much they appreciated us doing it," said the stores manager. "I only spoke to one customer that had anything negative to say. He wasn't a smoker but wasn't happy that we had taken that option away."
To make it even better, they mentioned that my high schools SADD group gave them an award for ceasing the sales. A Drug Abuse Resistance Education program also applauded them.
This is such a positive thing to happen in our world. The reactions of the people in my area also show how much the country has progressed. I really think it's all of the commercials on TV and ads in magazines that is changing the minds of many.
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Wegman's is AMAZING. I have never been so excited to go to a grocery store before.
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http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/evcheshirecatil
This is a good idea, lets start a trend of stores doing this. :)
+mspin
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/weezyf
Personally, I would prefer it if my store gave me the option to buy that which is legal. If its a grocery store, fine, let them sell only groceries. However, I have a query... does Wegman's sell alcoholic beverages? If the answer is yes, then, their hypocracy knows no bounds. If no, then good for them.
No they don't sell alcohol either.
Just like the continuing laws to make smoking harder to do in public places this is a step in the right direction. Making getting cigarettes harder makes a difference. It requires people to really think about their addiction and what it is worth to them. It also helps as the fewer people smoking the fewer people there are for kids to mimic to pick up the nasty habit in the first place. I don't think they should ever be outlawed but making them harder to get never hurt anyone.
I had to think about it, but I guess it really doesn't bother me.
I don't smoke. My bf does, but we hardly buy cigs from the grocery store anyways.
I seriously doubt that we're going to see a law banning smoking in public places anytime soon though
Hollywood is a place where they'll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul.
My college system is trying to get smoking banned on all campuses. A lot of people, including myself, came out in opposition to it, so I'm not sure what the status of it is right now, especially since we just got a new president.
~C
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