Rite Aid Drugs

Rite Aid Drugs is a drug store chain that sells cigarettes.

As recently as 1988, Rite Aid sold its own in-house brand of cigarettes called "Rite Aid Quality Seal Cigarettes". The packs were advertised alongside the logo of the pharmacy chain, sending the public a mixed message about the harm the product causes.

More recently, in 2006 Rite Aid entered into a joint health promotion with the American Heart Association called "Go Red For Women," in which Rite Aid claimed it was "taking a stand against heart disease in women." Rite Aid placed large red posters touting its "healthy heart" campaign in the windows of its stores, often immediately adjacent to its cigarette displays, thus allowing Rite Aid to promote both cigarettes and a professed concern for their customers' cardiac health simultaneously.

Rite Aid not only knew well that cigarettes cause heart disease in both men and women, but took steps to assure it would be inoculated against any legal claims arising from that fact. Brown & Williamson signed an indemnification contract holding Rite Aid harmless against legal action taken for damages, illness, or personal injury arising from selling cigarettes, and promising to pay for Rite Aid's defense in court if they should be sued for selling cigarettes.

Related SourceWatch resources

 * American Heart Association
 * American Heart Association Sticks with Smoky Partner

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