Dear Friend,

Yesterday, CVS announced that they will no longer sell  cigarettes in their stores, effective October 1.

“Put simply, the sale of tobacco products is inconsistent  with our purpose,” said their CEO.

The CEO is right.  We all know that cigarettes are bad  for our health. They’re linked to heart disease and cancer and cause millions  of deaths every year.   But what does that have to do with Earth Day  Network and our environmental objectives?

Cigarettes aren’t just bad for your health.  They  destroy our environment.   Cigarettes compromise our air  quality.  Cigarettes litter our parks and cities.  Cigarettes degrade  our farmland and use and ruin our water during production.  Cigarettes  exacerbate poverty.  And the list goes on.

CVS’s decision comes at a price.  They estimate that  they will lose $2 billion a year. The company has clearly decided to put  principle over profit, and we applaud them for doing so.  CVS is setting a  powerful example for other corporations by putting our health and our  environment—two issues that are near and dear to our hearts—ahead of  money.

Earth Day Network urges our close to one million members to  show your appreciation and shop at CVS. You can also show your support by using  the hashtag: #EnvirossupportCVS.  Maybe other pharmacies, grocery stores,  and shops across America will do the same and decide to take the agents of  death and show them the door.

Thanks for your support.

-The Earth Day Network Team