The city of Everett Health Department has set itself on a course to ban the sale of cigarettes in pharmacies in that city.
The Revere Health Department might do well to do the same.
Everett joins the city of Boston, Newton and two other communities in banning cigarette sales in pharmacies.
The reasoning, and it is philosophically sound, is that cigarettes, which cause lung cancer and a host of potentially deadly ailments, should not sold in places dedicated to the good health of residents.
Over in Everett, this means that sales of cigarettes will stop at Walgreens and Rite Aid, and at Costco and at all locations where pharmacies are operated.
The move, we believe, is an interesting way of taking cigarettes out of general circulation in much larger shopping venues.
In other respects, it takes away the sale of cigarettes in places where enormous amounts of prescription drugs and health medicants that heal people are sold.
Also, fewer younger people drawn to chain stores like Walgreens, Rite Aid or Costco will be able to purchase cigarettes there.
Of course, retailers all agree, those who wish to smoke will find cigarettes at other locations and that this business by other retailing outlets will be done at the expense of Walgreens, Costco and Rite Aid.
However the greater measure here is that we, as a society, are coming closer to banning some of the products that are known to be harmful to our health and why not start where there are pharmacies selling potential death?
The Revere Health Department should look into the possibility as it has presented itself in five other cities and towns in Massachusetts.
After all, buying cigarettes at a pharmacy, when you boil it all down, doesn’t really make very good health sense, does it?
