Letters to the Editor

Week of September 18, 2002

Comments (0) Wednesday, Sep 18 2002

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Name withheld
Berkeley

Huff and Puff

Hell, they could stop selling those damned dancing hamsters while they're at it: Regarding your article titled "Where There's Smokes There's Ire" [Dog Bites, Sept. 4], we can suggest a simple solution to Walgreens' problem of insisting on carding everyone who purchases cigarettes. Walgreens could stop selling tobacco products.

Pharmacies are in the business of providing products that ease people's pain and improve health -- so why do they continue to sell products that when used as directed only cause death and disease? Walgreens markets itself as the "Pharmacy America Trusts." How can you trust a commercial health care center that sells a product that causes over 400,000 preventable deaths in the United States each year?

Walgreens has repeatedly indicated that they sell tobacco as "a convenience" for their customers. Since it is no longer so convenient for their adult customers to show ID every time they purchase cigarettes to compensate for the chain's history of illegal sales to minors, we urge Walgreens to do the right thing and stop selling tobacco products. Frankly, it would be a lot easier to "Trust Walgreens" if they put their customers' health first.

Carolyn Martin
Chair, Prescription for Change
Noe Valley