We all share the important responsibility of keeping harmful and addictive tobacco products out of the hands of kids, Gottlieb said
As reported in CSP Daily News earlier this year, the Deerfield, Ill.-based drug chain has had to respond to growing shareholder concerns that its health-and-wellness mantra runs contrary to tobacco sales
Walmart, another retail chain targeted by the FDA, raised the buying age to 21 in July for all of its stores
The companys action also aligns with the efforts of states and municipalities who have recently enacted, or are considering, laws to restrict tobacco sales to people 21 and older
I understand that its easy for me to tell Walgreens to drop a profitable business line, take the painful short-term hit and move on
On Thursday, the FDA put Walgreens on notice, initiating enforcement action against certain retail locations of Walgreens and Circle K Stores for repeated violations of restrictions on the sale and distribution of tobacco products, including sales of cigars and menthol cigarettes to minors. Notably, Walgreens is currently the top violator among pharmacies that sell tobacco products, with 22 percent of the stores inspected having illegally sold tobacco products to minors, the FDA said
