LETTERS

More needed to control tobacco sales

Posted 2/11/14

To the Editor:

CVS has decided to stop selling tobacco products. CVS has the right to decide which products it will sell in their stores. However, this action will do nothing to reduce the sale …

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LETTERS

More needed to control tobacco sales

Posted

To the Editor:

CVS has decided to stop selling tobacco products. CVS has the right to decide which products it will sell in their stores. However, this action will do nothing to reduce the sale or use of tobacco products. 

There is a way to reduce the sale of tobacco products, especially the sale to children and young adults. Because the use of tobacco products is so harmful, I would have the United States Congress pass a law limiting the sale of tobacco products.  Tobacco products could only be sold by the carton and in vending machines. In addition, payment would have to be made by credit cards. Giving or selling small amounts of tobacco products to anyone would be punished by a fine of $100 for the first offence and $500 for each additional offence. Stores that sell only tobacco products would not be required to use vending machines. 

The cost of a carton of tobacco product and the fines involved would make it difficult for adults to provide tobacco products to their underage friends. Vending machines could be placed inside or outside each store based on the needs of the storeowner. The use of credit cards would give each state and the federal government an exact record of the tobacco taxes paid and each credit card company would forward these taxes monthly to each state and to the federal government.

Best of all, the use of tobacco products by children would be greatly reduced.

Kenneth Berwick

Smithfield

Comments

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  • Wuggly

    I applaud CVS for their stand on tobacco. A private company making a decision not to sell a product. Fine with me.

    Your idea I don't agree with at all, other than kids shouldn't be smoking. There is already an ID requirement to purchase tobacco products.

    The Government does not need to be more involved with commerce, that's private industry. Find something that sells and sell it. The bureaucrats do not need to know what I buy.

    Do you work or have stock in a credit card company? My cash has written on it "legal tender for all debts, public and private" that's what I try to use. I would prefer to go back to gold and silver coins, but that's a different subject.

    If you are so inclined to be controlled in such a manner the U.S. has a leave the country whenever you want policy. No "Berlin Wall" here.

    I hear North Korea, Russia, China and Venezuela among others have leaders that enjoy keeping tabs on people.

    Friday, February 14, 2014 Report this

  • Michael2012

    yet they want to legalize marijuina, so ok to smoke that hypocrites

    Saturday, February 15, 2014 Report this

  • JohnStark

    Agree with Wuggly. Private company deciding what it will and will not sell. No problem.

    More government involvement in private transactions of a legal product between consenting adults? Gee, what could possibly go wrong? I'll look forward to the following: "If you like your cigarettes, you can keep your cigarettes. Period!" Perhaps it's simply time for the Nanny State to allow informed adults to make their own decisions.

    Monday, February 17, 2014 Report this

  • dlstaab

    CVS caremark is a public company not private: CVS Caremark Corporation NYSE: CVS

    Tuesday, February 18, 2014 Report this

  • JohnStark

    Actually, it's a private company that is publically traded. Not to split hairs, but the point is that the practice of private companies engaging in legal trade is none of the government's business. And that includes the level of wages CVS pays it's employees.

    Monday, February 24, 2014 Report this

  • FASTFREDWARD4

    CVS is not a private company. I went to the last cvs stock holder meeting. And guess what maybe cvs will sell the pot in this stete. Just how cvs was the only store if you was with blue cross think back. And big dummy in North prov push it.

    Wednesday, February 26, 2014 Report this