Walgreens raises minimum age to buy tobacco to 21

Posted By: Staff
April 23, 2019 @ 2:57 pm
ABC Health

Wolterk/iStock

Wolterk/iStock(NEW YORK) — Walgreens has risen the minimum age to buy tobacco to 21 years old after it received criticism from the FDA earlier this year for selling tobacco products to minors.

The policy will be implemented chain-wide starting Sept. 1, the drug store company announced Tuesday in a press release, calling the change “the most recent step in an ongoing effort to further prevent youth access to tobacco products.”

“We’ve seen positive results from other recent efforts to strengthen our policies related to tobacco sales, and believe this next step can be even more impactful to reduce its use among teens and young adults,” said Walgreens President of Operations Richard Ashworth. “Through ongoing training and certification for pharmacists and technicians, we also continue to help and support people looking to quit the use of tobacco in their lives.”

The new policy aligns with recent efforts by states and municipalities to restrict tobacco sales to customers 21 and older, according to Walgreens.