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"Rite Aid drug stores are committed to making the
cigarette department a profitable category in
their stores...RJR wants to grow their business
as Rite Aid wants to increase sales and profits"
memo from tobacco giant R. J. Reynolds
"We have just recently entered into new contract agreements
with the major cigarette companies concerning the
placement of [cigarette] racks...a tremendous income
for Rite Aid"
Rite Aid memo
"We added permanent cigarette display fixtures...in an
effort to increase sales"
Rite Aid memo
"180 brands of cigarettes that will now be stocked
in all former Thrifty Payless stores...additional
cigarette sales and premiums
from cigarette companies...compliance is mandatory"
Rite Aid memo on acquisition of Thrifty Payless
Tobacco is the largest preventable cause of
death among women in the U.S.
Every year tobacco products kill 178,000 women in America.
Lung cancer: 45,000. Heart disease: 40,000. Lung disease: 42,000.
CDC TIPS: Women and Tobacco
"help our valued customers lead healthier, happier lives"
Rite Aid mission statement
Tobacco product is responsible for two-thirds of all
heart attacks in women under age 50.
Your Good Health, William Bennett, Harvard University Press, 1987, p. 95
"we are focused on and committed to the healthcare needs of our customers"
Rite Aid core values
"Smoking is a major cause of coronary heart disease among women.
For women younger than 50 years, the majority of coronary heart
disease is attributable to smoking. Since 1980, approximately three
million U.S. women have died prematurely from a smoking-related
disease. U.S. women lost an estimated 2.1 million years of life
each year during the 1990s as a result of smoking-related deaths
due to neoplastic, cardiovascular, respiratory, and pediatric
diseases, as well as from burns caused by cigarettes. For every
smoking attributable death, an average of 14 years of life was
lost."
Tobacco and Women
"Same Great Taste, Fresh New Look: Rite Aid Quality Seal Cigarettes"
ad for Rite Aid brand cigarettes
"Heart disease is the overall leading cause of death among women,
and smoking accounts for one out of every five deaths from
heart disease. For many of the diseases caused by smoking,
research has shown that women are more at risk than men.
The tobacco industry has a long history of targeting its
advertising at women and girls"
Background on Women and Girls and Tobacco
"Big Cigarette Savings. Big Vacation Discounts"
another ad for Rite Aid brand cigarettes
"Rite Aid bought out the Payless chain of
pharmacies in Washington state, and promptly added tobacco
products, which Payless had never sold."
message from health advocate
"The Brooks Pharmacy that the Rite Aid replaced never sold tobacco products.
They say their mission is to 'help our valued customers lead healthier, happy lives.'
Baloney. Rite Aid is only interested in their bottom line"
North Country Gazette
"the vast effort with which the tobacco industry
has set out to target women with its products"
Tobacco Explained: Big Tobacco and Women
"Women have been extensively targeted in tobacco marketing"
Surgeon General's 2001 report: Marketing Cigarettes to Women
"Legislation has been brought before the
Maryland legislature in which the legal smoking age
would be raised to eighteen years of age.
The major problem with such a bill is that it puts the
burden on the retailer to determine the age of a
tobacco purchaser before selling any tobacco
products...This bill must be fought if you expect
our continued support of the tobacco industry."
Rite Aid letter to Lorillard Tobacco
"Brown and Williamson Tobacco will indemnify Rite Aid against
all claims for liability, damages, illness, personal injury
and/or property damage arising out of Rite Aid's sale of
B&W's cigarette and/or tobaccco products...including payment
of all fees and costs in providing for Rite Aid's defense"
B&W Tobacco memo
The tobacco industry used Rite Aid to help defeat
a 1994 youth cigarette access bill. The bill
would have required cigarettes to be placed behind
store counters or in locked cabinets. Rite-Aid,
one of the largest cigarette vendors in the city,
assembled a lobbying force to oppose the bill.
William Bunch, "Political Smoking Gun",
Philadelphia Daily News, January 14, 1993, p. 3.
"Rite Aid has the worst rate of recidivism:
24% of the Rite Aid locations inspected by DCA
sold tobacco to minors a second time.
NYC Consumer Affairs report
"Philip Morris will mobilize all resources to defeat...anti
tobacco legislation or regulations"
"The Virginia Slims marketing effort will be image-building
advertising which will continue to be updated and refined
to reflect contemporary women and their values...image-enhancing
fashion merchandise....women's focused events..."
"Top 35 accounts: Rite Aid"
Philip Morris confidential report
What can I get you?
Your Cancer and Drug Store
Satirical look at drug store chains like Rite Aid and the number one
preventable cause of death in America.
Rite Aid to Help Fight Heart Disease, the No. 1 Killer Of Women Over 20
Rite Aid press release
The press release makes no mention of smoking, tobacco, or cigarettes.
Rite Aid presents itself as part of the solution for heart disease,
not part of the problem.
In the 7 years that Rite Aid has been a sponsor of the Go Red For Women
campaign, more than 2000 women have died from heart disease caused by products
they bought at Rite Aid. And Rite Aid made half a billion dollars selling those products.
Do the math
Tobacco Companies and Drug Stores: A Long and Close Partnership
PRwatch item