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Tag: American Medical Association

  • CVS Stores Will Stop Selling Tobacco

    CVS Stores Will Stop Selling Tobacco

    You better not get used to picking up a pack of cigarettes during your speedy jaunt to CVS. As of October 1st of this year, CVS/pharmacy store will stop selling tobacco products altogether.

    This marks the very first pharmacy chain to remove tobacco from their product line.

    7,600 CVS/pharmacy stores will be missing tobacco products lining their shelves before the end of the year. Why does the largest pharmacy chain in the world wish to take such a profitable item away for good?

    “Ending the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products at CVS/pharmacy is the right thing for us to do for our customers and our company to help people on their path to better health,” Larry J. Merlo, president and CEO of CVS Caremark, said in a statement. “Put simply, the sale of tobacco products is inconsistent with our purpose.”

    President Obama even praised the decision, saying it’s “ultimately saving lives.”

    “As one of the largest retailers and pharmacies in America, CVS Caremark sets a powerful example, and today’s decision will help advance my administration’s efforts to reduce tobacco-related deaths, cancer, and heart disease, as well as bring down health care costs — ultimately saving lives and protecting untold numbers of families from pain and heartbreak for years to come,” Obama said in a statement Wednesday.

    Many Twitter users including the American Medical Association took to Twitter to express their support for the newly announced decision.

    It looks like fellow pharmacy chain Walgreens won’t be ridding their stores of tobacco products just yet. Instead the chain has decided to take a slightly different approach to the trending issue while keeping the consumer’s best interest in mind.

    “We will continue to evaluate the choice of products our customers want, while also helping to educate them and providing smoking cessation products and alternatives that help to reduce the demand for tobacco products.”

    Has CVS sparked the start of tobacco-free chains and even more smoke bans?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3RVxda74os

    Image Via YouTube

  • AMA: Obesity is a Disease, Remove Sugary Drinks From SNAP

    The American Medical Association (AMA) this week held its annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois. The doctors attending the meeting have a large influence on the strategies medical professionals across the U.S. use to combat illnesses.

    Of the many topics taken up at the meeting, one simple change in wording could have a greater effect on Americans than any other topic. The AMA this week adopted a policy recognizing obesity as a disease. The new definition will require, the AMA says, medical interventions to “advance obesity treatment and prevention.”

    “Recognizing obesity as a disease will help change the way the medical community tackles this complex issue that affects approximately one in three Americans,” said Dr. Patrice Harris, AMA board member. “The AMA is committed to improving health outcomes and is working to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, which are often linked to obesity.”

    In addition to the obesity issue, the AMA adopted policies on a wide range of medical topics. The AMA now officially supports a ban on marketing energy drinks to children and recognizes the health risks of prolonged sitting. The organization also opposes discrimination based on an individual’s genetic information and admitted the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association to the AMA’s House of Delegates.

    On the final day of the meeting, the AMA waded into a controversial issue that has put personal freedoms and public health concerns at odds in New York City. The AMA adopted a policy supporting the removal of sugar-sweetened drinks from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP is a U.S. Department of Agriculture service that offers food assistance to low income Americans.

    “The AMA is working to improve the nation’s health care outcomes, particularly cardiovascular disease and diabetes, which are often linked to obesity,” said Dr. Ardis Hoven, AMA president. “Removing sugar-sweetened beverages from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will help encourage healthier beverage choices.”