Ban the Sale of Tobacco from Pharmacies..

January 16, 2008 - New York State Assemblyman Sam Hoyt has introduced a bill that would ban the sale of tobacco from pharmacies. "In light of the overwhelming evidence of the harmful nature of cigarette smoking on one’s health and the astronomical public health cost posed by tobacco products it is contradictory and counter-intuitive to sell such products in any establishment whose purpose is to provide remedies to health problems," Hoyt said in a statement. Because stores such as Tops (large grocery store chain mainly in Western New York) and Wal-Mart operate pharmacies on their premises, they would be covered under the law. The theory is that if cigarettes are taken out of enough stores it will “de-normalize” the product, as it was put by Jim Ver Steeg of the American Heart Association. And by doing that, the logic goes, it would reduce the sale of tobacco, fewer of us would use it and we would all be happier and healthier. Back on January 6, 2008 Danny Wegman of Wegmans, a Rochester, NY, based Supermarket chain announced they will no longer sell tobacco products starting February 10, 2008. Click on image to enlarge..