MASSACHUSETTS – New England residents who want to buy their tobacco and groceries in the same store will have to stop and shop elsewhere.
Stop & Shop, the Massachusetts-based grocery chain, announced Monday that it will stop selling cigarettes and other tobacco products at its 360 stores in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey by August 31.
Officials said the move was “part of the brand’s commitment to community well-being.”
“Our responsibility as a grocer extends far beyond our shelves, and we are committed to taking bold steps to help our associates, customers and communities work toward better health outcomes,” said Stop & Shop President Gordin Reud.
He added: “From our team of board-certified dietitians who serve our customers free of charge to our trained and trusted pharmacy staff, Stop & Shop aims to support the health and well-being of the neighborhoods we serve – and this tobacco cessation is another way we’re achieving that goal.”
In addition to stopping the sale of tobacco products, the chain is also offering cigarette buybacks at events in Boston and New York on August 28. The stores are located in neighborhoods where smokers are more likely to smoke and where smoking-related health problems are more common, Stop & Shop officials said.
The program is celebrated as a partnership between Stop & Shop and the American Cancer Society.
“We are pleased to partner with Stop & Shop as they have committed to ending the sale of all tobacco products in their stores,” said Dr. Karen E. Knudsen, CEO of the American Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. “This is a step in the right direction to end the tobacco industry’s influence on children, and we know more can be done to reduce the burden of tobacco in our communities. From state and local governments to schools and businesses, we can all do our part to protect public health. We urge state legislators to prioritize funding for tobacco control programs so that those motivated to quit through these efforts have the tools they need to succeed.”
There are 125 Stop & Shop locations in Massachusetts.
