Stop & Shop halts sales of all tobacco products, encourages people to quit

Stop & Shop, a major grocer with 360 stores across the Northeast, has removed all tobacco products from its stores as of Aug. 31, 2024, as it looks to promote health in the communities it serves. The brand also hosted cigarette buyback events in two neighborhoods with higher prevalence of smoking and smoking-related health issues.

With its announcement, Stop & Shop joins retailers like CVS and Rite Aid in efforts to promote healthy living and combat tobacco and nicotine addiction. CVS stopped selling all tobacco products in 2014, and Rite Aid removed e-cigarettes from stores in 2019 – although they still sell combustible tobacco products.

This important decision sets a positive example for other retailers and will hopefully encourage more stores to take similar action to support customers and protect communities.

Most smokers want to quit

Most smokers – nearly 70% – say they want to quit, and many make multiple quit attempts each year. Commitments from major retailers to stop selling tobacco products can make a big difference, especially when paired with buyback programs and community education campaigns that share information and resources about quitting smoking.

If you or someone you know want to quit smoking, there are resources to help

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the country, with 480,000 deaths in the U.S. each year from cigarette smoking alone. Quitting tobacco in all its forms has numerous health and mental health benefits.

For those wanting to quit smoking, vaping, or using other tobacco products, there are resources to help.