More than 40 stores in Philadelphia have removed tobacco from their shelves.
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When I first heard that Philadelphia was banking on a $2 cigarette tax to help fund the cash-strapped school district I knew it was a bad idea, not just from a policy standpoint, but from a logical marketing perspective.
Cigarettes are a product that is broadly demonized in societies – by graphic PSAs and grassroots activist – and illegal to consume in Philadelphia’s parks and public places. To take that product and make it more expensive to purchase through a tax means that smokers and the stores that sell them will have to reconsider their buying habits; some will resort to acquiring product through the black market and others will quit altogether.
It’s obvious that those who drafted the proposal for the PHL cigarette tax and those who endorse it are not paying attention to the market.
Mega drugstore chain CVS announced earlier this year that they would be removing tobacco products from its shelves by October. However, the company, which also changed it name to CVS Health to reflect its “broader healthcare commitment,” achieved its goal ahead of schedule and as of today, September 3rd, no tobacco products can be found behind the counters. Instead, consumers can choose from a variety of nicotine gums and patches.
“We are the first national pharmacy chain to step up and take this action,” touts Larry Merlo, President and CEO, CVS Health, in a video posted on the company’s website.
CVS Health currently has more than 40 stores in the Philadelphia market. And as the second largest pharmacy chain in the U.S after Walgreens, you can expect competitors to follow suit.
Elected officials and taxpayers alike need to pay more attention to the market and stop being so emotional and reactionary. The cigarette tax is a terrible idea and it shouldn’t be supported by anyone, let alone the people.
If we are serious about funding the nation’s eighth largest school district through a sustainable tax, than it should be on a product or service that the majority of the population consumes and is always in demand, like a toothpaste tax, or a sneaker tax – especially since the manufacturer of one pair of sneakers emits 30 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere – or a hair weave tax, or a plastic surgery tax, or a smartphone tax, or maybe even legalizing and regulating marijuana and taxing that… anything but cigarettes.
The children of Philadelphia and their parents deserve a real solution to school funding, not some half-a**, knee jerk reaction.
Thanks for reading. Until next time, I’m Flood the Drummer® & I’m Drumming for JUSTICE!™
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Photo: Denis Defreyne/Flickr
Not trying to be disrespectful, but the statement “…anything but cigarettes.” sounds like something a serious addict would say. I think it’s a great idea. You’re basically hitting two birds with one stone (even though that’s a horrible phrase when you think about it). Smokers that are serious about smoking will continue to smoke, thereby helping with the tax, smokers that are not serious will stop, thereby lowering the healthcare cost for themselves and others. This is great for the market, even though I honestly believe that we should put the health of our people before the market, since not… Read more »
Oh and one more thing. It’s not really demonizing if you’re simply stating facts, which a huge chunk of our society does. Now obviously there are people that are in fact demonizing the hell out of cigarettes, stating things that are exaggerated and stuff, but the vast majority of it is backed by science.