San Francisco recently passed a city-wide ordinance that bans the sale of all tobacco-based products in pharmacies, such as Walgreens. The ban, scheduled to take effect October 1, has stirred up a fire at the nationwide pharmacy chain, Walgreens leading officials to ask for an injunction against the ban.
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Walgreens’ objection is that stores other than drugstores can continue to sell tobacco products, even when they contain a pharmacy as a feature of business, as many supermarkets and wholesale-club stores do. Walgreens claims the ban is unconstitutional and anticompetitive.
A September 30 hearing date is set with California’s superior court, at which time the company will seek a preliminary injunction. Walgreens operates 52 outlets in the city of San Francisco that would be affected by the ban.
