CVS, Penn. Attorney General Reach Multistate Pact to Cut Tobacco Sales to Minors

WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- CVS Pharmacy, based here, and Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett have come to a multistate legal agreement to introduce new policies and procedures to help reduce the cigarette sales to minors.

Under the agreement, the retail pharmacy chain will change the way it sells, promotes, and advertises cigarettes in its more than 5,400 retail stores in 37 states and the district of Columbia. CVS has 354 locations in Pennsylvania. The number of stores included in the agreement is expected to go up once CVS acquires 700 stand-alone Osco and Sav-on drugstores.

The multistate agreement is similar to earlier agreements involving retailers or gasoline companies, among them 7-Eleven, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and Exxon Mobil.

"CVS now joins other large retailers who have pledged to do their part to ensure that they are not contributing to underage smoking in the Commonwealth and across the country," said Corbett in a statement.

The agreement requires CVS all of its stores to check the ID of any person buying tobacco products when that person appears to be under the age of 27, and accept only valid government-issued photo ID as proof of age. The chain must prohibit self-service displays and the use of vending machines to sell tobacco products; distribution of free samples, sales of cigarette lookalike products, and the sale of smoking paraphernalia to minors.

CVS must also limit tobacco signage to brand names, logos, other trademarks, and pricing; and ensure that all tobacco advertising inside the store is confined to the area where tobacco products are sold. It agreed to train employees on state and local laws and company policies regarding tobacco sales to minors; and minimize the use of anyone under age 18 for positions involving the sale of tobacco.

It must also hire an independent entity to conduct random compliance checks stores annually in the participating states.
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