CVS Kicks the Tobacco Habit

It never made much sense that pharmacy chains would also sell cigarettes in this day and age. Sure, tobacco is a drug. Nicotine addicts crave it. And public companies are supposed to be all about boosting sales, earnings and shareholder value.

But you wouldn't expect to see an adult-movie theater in the middle of Disney World, or a pot dispensary inside a Chuck E. Cheese's restaurant, or a cigarette machine inside the lobby of a physician's office. Sometimes building a brand and reputation is more important than incremental gains in revenue. And now CVS Caremark Corp. has reached the same conclusion.