Walmart to stop selling cigarettes in some US stores

The Walmart retail chain has announced that it will no longer sell cigarettes in some of its stores across the country (in Florida, New Mexico, Arkansas and California).[1]The chain has nearly 5,000 stores across the country.

Health experts have long argued that the number of retailers selling tobacco products should be drastically reduced for public health reasons, with many existing stores eliminating tobacco sales. Smoking causes about one in five deaths in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or more than 480,000 deaths each year.

An economic decision that is not motivated by a concern for public health

Walmart is stopping cigarette sales in some of its US stores, citing a business decision. The move comes after years of debate within the company's leadership team over whether to stop selling tobacco products, with some executives saying that because tobacco is legal, it was not the company's place to "make a moral judgment" on shoppers.

The retail chain has stated that it does not intend to completely stop selling tobacco, but is looking for ways to use space more efficiently in certain stores, such as self-checkouts, candy stores, and takeaway food. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal[2], cigarette sales are considered "generally less profitable" than other items sold prominently in the store at the checkout, such as confectionery.

Walmart Already Criticized by the FDA for Selling Tobacco to Minors

In 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned 15 national retail brands, including Walmart and several gas station chains, for selling tobacco products to minors.[3]The agency had asked the stores to submit a specific system designed to prevent the sale of tobacco products to minors, after carrying out more than a million checks via mystery shoppers, which reportedly revealed high rates of sales to young people in certain stores.

Following the warning, Walmart removed e-cigarettes and vaping products from its shelves and raised the age for purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21.

Limiting points of sale is an effective measure to combat smoking

Measures to restrict places where tobacco products are sold are an effective way to combat smoking.[4]The retail sale of tobacco products is an integral part of the tobacco industry's marketing plan. It perpetuates social norms around smoking and normalizes its use. The availability of tobacco products in stores is an important way for the tobacco industry to advertise its products. It is linked to impulse purchases of these products, an increased likelihood that young people will start smoking, and a decrease in smoking cessation success among those trying to quit.

AE

[1] Thomas Mulier, Brendan Case, Walmart Ends Cigarette Sales in Some Stores; Altria Slides, Bloomberg, March 28, 2022, accessed March 30, 2022

[2] Sarah Nassauer, Jennifer Maloney, Walmart Stops Selling Cigarettes in Some Stores, The Wall Street Journal, March 28, 2022, accessed March 30, 2022

[3] Nathan Bomey, FDA threatens Walgreens, Walmart, other retailers for allegedly selling tobacco to kids, USA Today, March 4, 2020, accessed March 30, 2022

[4] Restricting product availability, Counter Tobacco, accessed March 30, 2022