Marin Supervisors Ban Tobacco from Pharmacies

As part of an ongoing effort to limit the exposure and sale of tobaccoproducts to children, the Marin County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously voted to halt tobacco sales in pharmacies located in unincorporated areas of the county. The ban affects four retail outlets, one of which already volunteered to stop such sales.

The Supervisors said they have become increasingly aware of the contradictory nature oftobacco sales in pharmacies given the role the establishments play in health care. Citing ethical concerns, drug store giant CVS Caremark announced in February 2014 that it would voluntarily end sales of tobacco products in all of its stores by October 2014.

The Smoke-Free Marin Coalition, which has worked with the County on the matter, congratulated the Board for displaying “bold leadership” in public health. The Smoke-Free Marin Coalition is an informal group of grassroots tobacco activists, community groups, health agencies and youth-serving agencies. The coalition, which includes the County of Marin, plays an advocacy role in public health policy and local legislation regarding tobacco addiction prevention, clean indoor/outdoor air laws, reducing tobacco sales to minors and tobacco advertising issues.

“With just a few exceptions, pharmacies worldwide are tobacco-free, and it is time for the United States to have pharmacies focus on health and say no to tobacco,” said Dr. Larry Meredith, Director of the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services. “The Board of Supervisors has set a new standard for Marin, and it is now up to the 10 other Marin municipalities to follow the lead.”

Bob Curry, the Resource Development Coordinator with the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services, serves as staff to the 24-year-old coalition. He said a vast majority of pharmacists supported the prohibition of tobacco products in pharmacies and none of Marin’s independent pharmacies sell tobacco products.

The move also has strong public support. More than 72 percent of California residents support such as measure and 83 percent said they would shop at pharmacies just as often. In fact, 14 percent said they would choose to shop at pharmacies more often if a ban were in place.

Young consumers, who often go unreported in such public surveys, could benefit the most from such a ban, Curry said. Youths frequent pharmacies to purchase snacks, toys and school supplies, and now they will be protected from exposure to tobacco marketing and branding once the products are removed.

“Most importantly, they will no longer be receiving the contradictory message that tobaccouse is condoned by our health care product retailers,” Curry said.

(PHOTO: Resource Development Coordinator Bob Curry (left) and Health and Human Services Director Dr. Larry Meredith speak about the tobacco products ban before the Marin County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 5, 2014.)