Last month, Wegmans Food Markets announced that as of Feb. 10 it would cease sales of tobacco products. A lot has been made of that decision by the Wegman family and we would like to publicly thank them for making such a courageous business decision.
The decision to stop selling tobacco products and cigarettes is not one every retailer can or will make. Wegmans does join two other Cayuga County businesses that have also chosen to stop selling tobacco products.
What is significant about the Wegmans decision is that they are a major player in the retail world and this new policy has had an impact on the way all of us view the issue of smoking and the way the tobacco products are advertised and promoted in our communities.
In their announcement, the Wegman family alluded to the safeguarding of our children as one of the motives to stop selling tobacco products. If all of us, in our personal and professional lives were to take a more active role in thinking about and implementing changes that eliminate our children's exposure to smoking and secondhand smoke, we could make our environment and our families much healthier.
Anne McCarthy and Karen Darling
Auburn
McCarthy writes on behalf of the Cayuga County Tobacco Free Partnership, and
Darling is coordinator of Reality Check of Cayuga County
What is significant about the Wegmans decision is that they are a major player in the retail world and this new policy has had an impact on the way all of us view the issue of smoking and the way the tobacco products are advertised and promoted in our communities.
In their announcement, the Wegman family alluded to the safeguarding of our children as one of the motives to stop selling tobacco products. If all of us, in our personal and professional lives were to take a more active role in thinking about and implementing changes that eliminate our children's exposure to smoking and secondhand smoke, we could make our environment and our families much healthier.
Anne McCarthy and Karen Darling
Auburn
McCarthy writes on behalf of the Cayuga County Tobacco Free Partnership, and
Darling is coordinator of Reality Check of Cayuga County
The Citizens' Say
There are 4 comment(s)
dan w wrote on Feb 15, 2008 7:43 PM:
Farmer's Gal wrote on Feb 15, 2008 12:57 PM:
The point is to move those products up and out of the view of children first and foremost. If adults choose to smoke, it's their look-out, so long as they remain respectful of the rest of us who choose NOT to breathe that gunk into ourselves, and so long as children are protected from second-hand smoke, which, by all accounts, is even worse than first-hand smoke.
I'm sure Wegman's is responding to a local campaign to move advertising and sales of tobacco products up above the eye-level of children, or out of their stores completely, at the choice of the store's management.
Honestly, I'd LOVE to see the sale of lottery tickets restricted to places where those of us who do not gamble don't have to wait for those who do to indulge in their addiction when we are trying to buy groceries, pay for gas, etc.
(Wegman's has the best breads ever in their bakery, thanks to being the only Wegman's with a brick oven -- no other Wegman's can compare....) "
Yikes wrote on Feb 14, 2008 7:47 PM:
Please pardon my skepticism but won't they continue to sell alcohol? How about lottery tickets which promote gambling?
Can anyone show me a case where a person went home and beat their spouse and kids, ran themself into financial crisis, became homeless, couldn't put food on the table, was forced to turn to welfare, wrecked a vehicle and killed an innocent bystander, murdered someone in a rage, wound up in the prison system - ALL because they made a PERSONAL choice to smoke?
When businesses like Wegmans start trying to fix the real issues, instead of going after false issues such as this in a futile attempt to "safeguard" our children, then and only then will I believe they're serious about the welfare of our children.
"
karl L wrote on Feb 14, 2008 2:06 PM:
....and Wegman's sugar cookies! =0 ! "