News Article
Two years after the ban: How CVS continues to take on tobacco
From Forbes
"When CVS announced its plans to ban cigarette sales in 2014, the media took note. It was one of the most widely covered corporate social responsibility stories in recent memory – and for good reason. CVS’s choice was bold, risky and scrutinized by many. Two years later, CVS’s commitment to curbing tobacco use hasn’t wavered – quite the contrary, in fact. The company recently launched Be The First, a $50 million initiative to help deliver the first tobacco-free generation.
As senior vice president of corporate social responsibility and philanthropy for CVS Health, and president of the CVS Health Foundation, Eileen Howard Boone has been instrumental in shaping and evolving the company’s tobacco prevention initiatives. We sat down with her to find out more about Be the First and lessons learned from the initial ban in 2014."
Our Take
The CVS experience shows that consumers – especially young ones – want to associate with brands that share their values. By helping us limit access to tobacco and focus on communicating with the teens and young adults who have the power to end tobacco use for their generation, CVS is doing well and doing good at the same time.
AMY TAYLOR
Senior Vice President, Community and Youth Engagement
