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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to commend CVS Caremark on its decision to
4stop selling tobacco products in its stores; and
 
5    WHEREAS, CVS Caremark has decided to stop selling tobacco
6products at its more than 7,600 stores across the United States
7by October 1, 2014, making it the first national pharmacy chain
8to take this step in support of the health and well-being of
9its patients and customers; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Decades of tobacco control efforts have greatly
11reduced the prevalence of cigarette smoking, but the rate of
12reduction in smoking prevalence has stalled in recent years; 42
13million people continue to smoke; and
 
14    WHEREAS, The impact of tobacco on our nation's children is
15striking - 90% of adult smokers began at or before age 18 and
16an estimated 5,600,000 kids alive today will die prematurely as
17a result of tobacco-related disease unless current trends are
18reversed; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Studies have demonstrated a relationship between
20tobacco use and geographic density of stores that sell
21cigarettes; reducing the density of stores that sell tobacco

 

 

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1can help reduce smoking among young people; and
 
2    WHEREAS, CVS Caremark's decision to cease tobacco sales
3underscores its role in the United States' evolving healthcare
4system; pharmacies are becoming more involved in chronic
5disease management to help those with high blood pressure, high
6cholesterol, and diabetes - all conditions that are exacerbated
7by smoking; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Smoking is the leading cause of premature disease
9and death in the United States, killing more than 480,000
10Americans and costing the nation an estimated $289,000,000,000
11in medical costs and lost productivity annually; and
 
12    WHEREAS, CVS Caremark has also pledged to help millions of
13Americans quit smoking; this spring the company will launch a
14national smoking cessation program with the goal of helping
15millions of Americans quit smoking and get healthy; therefore,
16be it
 
17    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
18NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
19we congratulate CVS Caremark for stopping the sale of tobacco
20products in its stores; and be it further
 
21    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be

 

 

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1presented to CVS Caremark as an expression of our gratitude.