CVS quits U.S. chamber over stance on smoking

CVS Health announced yesterday it would resign from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce after revelations that the chamber and its foreign affiliates were undertaking a global lobbying campaign against antismoking laws.

CVS last year stopped selling tobacco products in its stores. The move by the chamber, the company said, runs counter to its mission to improve public health, according to the New York Times.

“We were surprised to read recent press reports concerning the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s position on tobacco products outside the United States,” said David Palombi, CVS senior vice president, in a statement. “CVS Health’s purpose is to help people on their path to better health, and we fundamentally believe tobacco use is in direct conflict with this purpose.”

The Times last week uncovered that the chamber and its foreign affiliates were working to combat antismoking rules, often in developing countries.

The chamber defended its postion.

“To be clear, the chamber does not support smoking and wants people to quit,” the organization said in a statement. “At the same time, we support protecting the intellectual property and trademarks of all legal products in all industries and oppose singling out certain industries for discriminatory treatment.”

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