Baoyi Chen’s Blog

This article “CVS Vows to Quit Selling Tobacco Products” elaborates the decision of CVS pharmacy stop selling tobacco. In the article, it was clear that the profit of the company would drop because the number of the tobacco buyers will be decrease, as well as the related goods that smokers would possibly purchase. However, this decision would be ethical since it will decrease the number of smokers, reduce second hand smokes, at the same time beneficial to the environment (quality of air) and the society.

Milton Friedman’s article “The social responsibility of business is to increase its profits” stated one of his opinion about a business should “make as much money as possible while conforming to their basic rules of the society”. This statement, in my opinion, is not well suggested to companies that consider ethical issues like CVS. In long term, this decision of stop selling tobacco products would takes CVS to another position, which would be much more respectful in the industry of pharmaceutical.

This decision of quit selling tobacco products may not possibly bring huge financial benefit to the company, but it would leave excellent reputation and at the same time motivates the employees in the way that it might gives them passion and incentive to work in order to generate more profit.