Health

Stop & Shop to stop selling tobacco products at all locations

The grocery chain will host a cigarette buyback event at the Grove Hall, Dorchester Stop & Shop at 460 Blue Hill Ave. on Aug. 28.

The exterior of a Stop & Shop in Somerville, Photo by JB Reed, Bloomberg News JB Reed/Bloomberg News.

August 26, 2024

1 minute to read

Stop & Shop will stop selling cigarette and tobacco products at all 360 of its locations by Aug. 31, the grocery store said in a statement.

The move is part of the brand’s “commitment to community wellness,” the statement said.

The grocer will also host cigarette buyback events on Aug. 28 at locations in neighborhoods that have higher rates of smoking and smoking-related health issues, according to the statement. The first 100 customers to bring an unopened pack of cigarettes will receive a Stop & Shop gift card, plus a bag with snacks, mints, and smoking withdrawal materials.

One buyback event will be at the Grove Hall Stop & Shop at 460 Blue Hill Ave., Dorchester.

“Our responsibility as a grocer goes far beyond our aisles, and we are committed to taking bold steps to help our associates, customers, and communities work towards better health outcomes,” said Stop & Shop President Gordon Reid.

According to the Center of Disease Control, cigarette smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths every year in the United States. More than 16 million Americans currently have a smoking-related disease, the CDC said.