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I'm proud of the company that I work for because they took a stand and decided not to sell any tobacco products in their stores. I mean it's a pharmacy and they are trying to make people take care of themselves better. Cigarettes kind of don't do that. By kind of I mean they don't at all.I know that some people might be upset that they can't get everything they need in one place, but I honestly do not think that it will destroy profits like some people are predicting. I mean it's primarily a pharmacy so most of its profits come from prescription drugs. Anyway tobacco products are a pain to stock, maintain and have a higher yield in taxes than in profits.
I have worked for companies in the past that have taken a political stance on things, but I was never proud of them for taking the stand. I think in the past it was because it was part of an agenda that was being pushed instead of the general welfare of the customers. The bank supported causes that were management's pet charities. CVS will actually provide counseling and support for customers to quit smoking.
Could it backfire? Sure as is anything that it different. In my old store, that never sold cigarettes because it's new, even the smokers thought it was great that CVS isn't selling cigarettes anymore. As a tech, it is mostly about referring customers to the pharmacist. So it's not me directly helping people, but I can get them there.
So, what does this have to do with me as a mental health advocate? I have seen many people with mental health issues smoke. Smoking can actually exacerbate their symptoms instead of curb them. I watched him once smoke an entire pack of cigarettes in an hour. It didn't calm him, it made him seem more manic. I can understand the self-medicating properties of smoking, but in the long run it does damage health and hurts someone with mental illness more.
So I think I am in the right place at the right time. I'm happy that I am helping people in a small way. I'm doing it more than I was at the bank. Money is never as important as health. I want to be a worthwhile person and I think by helping people be healthy in a small way can make me be the person I want to be.
I'm proud to work for a pharmacy innovation company.
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