( CNN ) -- The iconic image of the neighborhood drugstore and wise and friendly pharmacist were once part of the American social fabric . The local pharmacy was where we went to pursue romance over an ice cream soda , share gossip with members of our community or acquire our most basic supplies . Pharmacists were our friends , our neighbors and those we looked to for help and aid . But increasingly , as the local pharmacy transformed into the large chain drug store , the analgesics and advice were joined by something quite different and deadly : tobacco products . Along with medicines , greeting cards and cosmetics , large retailers and pharmacies like Walmart , Rite Aid and Walgreens sell cigarettes and other tobacco products , despite the fact that we know they are harmful . But on Wednesday , CVS/Caremark stepped up and declared loud and clear : Cigarettes and health care can not and should not coexist under the same roof . We applaud CVS for taking the bold and socially conscious step to stop selling cigarettes and other tobacco products effective October 1 . More than 7,600 CVS stores across the nation will no longer sell these products -- impacting thousands of customers across the country and helping to promote longer , healthier lives . Despite intense competition in the industry , CVS had the vision and the conviction to do what is right for its customers . Each year in our country , more than 480,000 Americans lose their lives to tobacco-related diseases , including heart disease , cancers , emphysema and stroke . Tobacco use also takes a huge toll on our economy , from lost productivity to the medical care costs of treating sick smokers . But tobacco-related disease is wholly preventable . Proven tactics such as raising the price of tobacco products , clean indoor air laws , and effective public education campaigns can help drive smoking rates down . For years , these have been the tools of government and nonprofit organizations like Legacy Foundation . CVS brought a critical additional tool to bear -- limiting access to tobacco -- and issued a clarion call for retailers to join the fight to change the culture around tobacco use to make it less socially acceptable . Removing tobacco products from pharmacy shelves -- where they are often both an eye-level temptation for youth who are open to smoking and a trigger for smokers struggling to quit -- will help foster positive changes in our attitudes toward smoking . We challenge other large retailers to take the same step and put their customers ' health and well-being ahead of their profit margins . CVS 's decision shows that the for-profit sector can truly do good . Increasingly , America 's pharmacies are positioning themselves as health care providers . Instead of a traditional visit to a doctor 's office , many people may now visit their pharmacy -- like CVS 's Minute Clinic -- for a quick assessment or diagnosis or to receive an on-the-spot prescription for whatever ails . To be seen as trusted health care providers , pharmacies must reconcile the inherent contradiction of offering those services while also selling lethal tobacco products to those very same customers . Providing medical services in one part of the store while offering harmful products at the cash register is a paradox that could n't be clearer . CVS recognized that to be a true leader , you have to not only talk the talk but walk the walk . In a business climate with brutal competition and the persistent pressure to deliver short-term results , estimates are that this move by CVS could cost the nation 's second largest drugstore chain about $ 2 billion in annual sales . But smart businesses look toward the big picture . By taking tobacco products off its shelves , CVS has an immediate opportunity to introduce other -- potentially profitable -- product lines to its customer base . With a new commitment to offering customers healthier choices , it has a longer-term opportunity to foster relationships with health care providers and medical staff -- all synched with CVS 's vision to be a trusted neighborhood resource for short-term care . And CVS 's act of social responsibility also has the potential to deepen existing customer relationships . Already , anecdotally , I 've heard colleagues and friends who have been affected firsthand by the issue of tobacco use or lost a loved one to tobacco-related disease say to me , `` CVS is now my pharmacy for life '' -- based on the action it took this week . For that , the public health community and the chain 's customers are cheering . We hope its peers quickly follow suit . Once they do , we will likely reach our bold goal to reduce smoking prevalence in the U.S. to under 10 % in the next 10 years . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Robin Koval .
CVS/Caremark announced that it will stop selling cigarettes and tobacco products . Robin Koval : This is a bold and socially conscious move that helps customers . She say more pharmacies want to serve as trusted health care providers . Koval : The company says the decision was made after years of research into how people use their medications, including whether they are using them for smoking or other reasons.