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Editorial: Causing and treating

01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, September 25, 2008

The Boston Public Health Commission has given preliminary approval to a ban on the sale of tobacco products in drugstores. Interesting idea: Drugstores are generally considered places to go to improve your health. Indeed, some pharmacy chains are now moving in a big way to install health clinics, staffed with nurse practitioners and physician's assistants, in their stores too - a boon to customers overwhelmed with the high cost of health care.

So why sell such deadly things as cigarettes there? Well, as CVS chief executive Thomas Ryan notes: "It's a big number from a dollar standpoint." And, of course, pills and many other products sold at drugstores can also be deadly if misused. But tobacco products are always bad for you. No exceptions. Even one puff won't improve your health.

Since cigarettes and other tobacco products are still legal, at least for adults, we're loath to have the government (which makes tons of money off cigarette sales) order the drugstores not to offer them, while letting convenience stores and many other outlets sell them. Unfair.

Still, for long-term public relations and associated profitability, we hope that the pharmacy chains, especially, of course, Rhode Island-based CVS, consider stopping such sales. We're happy to hear that CVS's Ryan said he wouldn't rule out eliminating such products from their stores.

That some CVS, Walgreen and other drugstores are becoming health clinics as well as stores gives them another rationale for ending tobacco sales, besides just the simple act of doing the right thing. A clinic and cigarette display in the same establishment would be an intriguing display of hypocrisy - or sales promotion. Make us money by buying our cigarettes and then make us some more when smoking-caused illness leads you to our clinic?

Absolutely.

The YMCA of Greater Providence
The YMCA of Greater Providence is actively involved in many projects
that are improving the health of families and communities in RI.
  Here's
a little info about two ongoing initiatives. For more information,
contact Cindy McDermott at CMcDermott@gpymca.org

YMCA's Pioneering Healthier Communities
Pioneering Healthier Communities is a community leadership strategy to
facilitate active living and healthier eating through policy and
environmental changes.

Pioneering Healthier Communities in Providence is a part of a major
nationwide healthy living initiative that engages all sectors of
society
to truly impact the nation's chronic disease crisis. The focus is on
three major risk factors - physical inactivity, unhealthy eating and
tobacco use. Unhealthy eating and physical inactivity are associated
with an increased risk of a number of chronic health conditions
including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some cancers, as well as
being overweight and obese.

The goals of Pioneering Healthier Communities are:
--Raise awareness and strengthen the framework for community-wide and
national movements among all sectors of society to reverse the trends
in
physical inactivity, obesity, and other unhealthy lifestyles by
increasing opportunities for physical activity and the consumption of
fruits and vegetables
--Transform the seven patterns of a healthy community (identified by
the
Health Research & Educational Trust and the Coalition for Healthier
Cities and Communities, now known as the Association for Community
Health Improvement) into practice
--Identify cost-effective, practical, and sustainable solutions and
tools that teams can replicate to educate and mobilize communities to
make sustainable changes that support healthy living
--Build complementary community, state and national efforts by
implementing programs and public policies for all sectors to increase
opportunities for physical activity and the consumption of healthy
foods.

YMCA's Healthy Family Home Website
Here's a great resource to help families make small, sustainable
changes
that add up to a healthier home environment!
Use this website to help improve your home environment and jumpstart
healthy habits that will lead to a healthier way of living. This site
supports and encourages the whole family in making nurturing, wholesome
choices throughout each day.
http://www.ymca.net/healthyfamilyhome/welcome.html

You bet that healthy is better than tempting us and the kids with the tobacco and other bad stuff.