Stop & Shop stores in the Attleboro area and elsewhere stop selling tobacco products | Local news

“Stop & Shop aims to promote the health and well-being of the communities we serve – from our team of board-certified dietitians who serve our customers free of charge to our trained and trusted pharmacy staff. This tobacco cessation is another way we are achieving that goal,” Reid said.

The Quincy-based grocery chain has 360 stores in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey and is the latest retailer to stop selling tobacco products. It has two stores in Attleboro and additional stores in Seekonk, North Attleboro, Mansfield, Foxboro and Plainville.

Stop & Shop has not only stopped selling tobacco products, but is also encouraging its customers to quit smoking. On Wednesday, Stop & Shop is holding two cigarette buybacks, one at the store at 460 Blue Hill Avenue in Boston and one in Staten Island, New York. The company has identified these stores as locations in neighborhoods within the brand’s service area where smoking rates and smoking-related health problems are higher.

At both events, the first 100 customers to bring in an unopened pack or carton of cigarettes for exchange will receive a Stop & Shop gift card, a bag full of healthy snacks, mints and smoking cessation materials created in collaboration with Stop & Shop’s longtime partner, the American Cancer Society and its advocacy group, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), and $10 discount coupons for Nicorette.

“This is a step in the right direction toward ending the tobacco industry’s influence on children, and we know more can be done to reduce the impact of tobacco use in our communities,” said Dr. Karen E. Knudsen, CEO of the American Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, in the announcement.

“From state and local governments to schools and businesses, we can all play a role in protecting public health. We urge state legislators to prioritize funding for tobacco control programs so that those motivated to quit through these efforts have the tools they need to succeed,” she said.

According to the World Health Organization, around 780 million people worldwide want to quit smoking, but only 30% have the means to do so. Tobacco use can lead to tobacco dependence and serious health problems.

Other retailers that have stopped selling tobacco products include Walmart, which has stores in North Attleboro, Seekonk and Walpole.