When CVS Health announced its plans earlier this year to halt the sale of tobacco products in its stores, it swiftly fortified its commitment to the health and wellness of its customers and the communities it serves and definitively acknowledged, in no uncertain terms, that fighting cancer is good business. Its move was particularly fitting as the nation marked the 50th anniversary of the landmark 1964 U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Health, which launched one of the most successful, life-saving public health movements in United States history, reducing the smoking rate by more than half and saving more than 8 million lives. But with tobacco poised to take 1 billion lives worldwide in this next century, there is an urgent need to do more. We know that policies that restrict access to tobacco products, reduce exposure to tobacco advertising, and limit the places that people smoke have a direct effect on reduced smoking rates, especially among youth. Today we celebrate CVS Health for being the trailblazer that we hope will embolden other retailers to join us in making this cancer's last century.
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About the American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers saving lives and fighting for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. As the largest voluntary health organization, the Society's efforts have contributed to a 20 percent decline in cancer death rates in the U.S. since 1991, and a 50 percent drop in smoking rates. Thanks in part to our progress nearly 14 million Americans who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will celebrate more birthdays this year. As we celebrate our 100th year of service, we're determined to finish the fight against cancer. We're finding cures as the nation's largest private, not-for-profit investor in cancer research, ensuring people facing cancer have the help they need and continuing the fight for access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings, clean air, and more. For more information, to get help, or to join the fight, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit www.cancer.org. Contact: Tara Peters 732.887.2920 [email protected]