CVS changes name, ends tobacco sales

As part of its goal to redefine pharmacy, drugstore chain CVS changed its corporate name to CVS Health, from CVS Caremark Corp., and has ceased tobacco sales chainwide one month earlier than expected.

“CVS health is changing the way healthcare is delivered to increase access, lower costs and improve the quality of care,” Larry Merlo, CVS’ president and CEO, said in a video posted Wednesday on cvs.com.

As of Wednesday, the retailer no longer sells cigarettes or tobacco products. (In February, the company announced that it would end the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products at its stores by Oct. 1.)

'‘By eliminating sales of cigarettes and tobacco products in our stores, we can make a difference in the health of all Americans,” Merlo said.

The company announced the news on social media:

The company also launched a smoking cessation campaign that includes an assessment of the smoker’s readiness to quit; education to give smokers the information and tools they need to quit; medication support to help curb the desire to use tobacco; and coaching to prevent relapses.

A complementary social campaign — #OneGoodReason — encourages people to share their personal stories of how smoking and tobacco use has affected their lives: