CVS drugstores are going where no national pharmacy chain has dared to go. It will stop selling cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco at more than 7,600 stores, starting in October. Nearly one out of every five U.S. deaths is caused by smoking. Displaying those harmful items alongside medicine, first aid products and nutrition supplements doesn't promote the company's health care mission, executives explain. Last week's announcement adds support for anti-smoking campaigns by the federal government, doctors and insurers.

The step by America's largest druggist, in terms of sales, gives antismoking groups an example to cite as they urge Walmart, Rite Aid, Walgreens and other national retailers to follow CVS and Target, which hasn't sold cigarettes for years. Some cities already restrict where cigarettes can be sold and a few states are considering legislation to bar health clinics from operating in stores that sell tobacco or alcohol.

In an editorial, The Baltimore Sun says: "A decision by a major, publicly traded corporation to get out of the tobacco business signals a future in which smoking is increasingly marginalized." The Washington Post praises "a bright spot in a long, unfinished struggle to end habits that are proven to kill." Other opinion writers see a slippery slope that could bring more bans. "Cigarettes are hardly the only 'unhealthy' item CVS sells," says columnist Katrina Trinko in USA Today, citing sugary snacks, lottery tickets and – brace yourself – celebrity magazines. "Is it really healthy for us as a culture to read the latest gossip, the stories that detail the divorces and drug use and alcohol abuse of people we've never met?"

President Obama says: "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.” – Feb. 5 statement

CVS leader says: "We have about 26,000 pharmacists and nurse practitioners helping patients manage chronic problems like high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease, all of which are linked to smoking. . . . Cigarettes and providing health care just don’t go together." -- Larry Merlo, chief executive officer

Cancer doctor says: "If you're in the business of promoting health and providing health care, it's very hypocritical to be selling tobacco products. It just doesn't make sense and in fact is almost a conflict of interest." -- Otis W. Brawley, chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society