Walgreens to stop tobacco sales under 21 at all stores

Walgreens, one of the largest drugstore chain in the U.S., announced Tuesday it will not sell tobacco products to people under the age of 21 in all of its U.S. stores, effective Sept. 21.

The Deerfield-based company said the move is the latest in a number of steps it has taken to restrict tobacco sales to youths, and that the directive also aligns with the efforts of states and municipalities that have either enacted or are considering restricting tobacco sales to people 21 or older.

"We've seen positive results from other recent efforts to strengthen our policies related to tobacco sales, and believe this next step can be even more impactful to reduce its use among teens and young adults," said Richard Ashworth, Walgreens president of operations. "Through ongoing training and certification for pharmacists and technicians, we also continue to help and support people looking to quit the use of tobacco in their lives."

Walgreens has 9,560 drugstores throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with more than 8 million customers visiting in-store and online daily, according to the company,

Walgreens has supported the legislative proposals, noting studies have shown cities that enacted Tobacco 21 laws have seen a sharp decline in tobacco use among young adults 18-20 years old.

The company, in a statement, noted other steps it has taken to restrict sales. Walgreens implemented a "Card All" policy last October, which requires verification regardless of age on all tobacco sales in its stores. The company is also involved in promoting products and services to help people quit tobacco use, and offers a suite of digital information and support tools to patients who want to quit smoking.