Statement on A&P Stores' Decision To Remove Cigarette Vending Machines

Every year hundreds of millions of packs of cigarettes are bought by children and adolescents. In a 1995 survey, more than 90 percent of 10th graders said it was "fairly easy" or "very easy" to obtain cigarettes. That is why my administration has proposed measures to reduce significantly the unlawful sale of tobacco products to young people.

I am pleased to commend the American business leaders who have also stepped up to the plate to tackle this problem. Today Mr. James Wood, chairman and CEO of A&P, and the A&P board of directors have announced that they will remove all cigarette vending machines from their stores by the end of this month. In doing so, they have responded to the challenge and taken responsibility for a problem everyone—parents, teachers, corporate leaders, community leaders, and clergy—must overcome together.

If more business leaders such as Mr. Wood and companies such as A&P took this type of decisive action and worked together with government, I am confident that we would achieve dramatic success on our efforts to keep cigarettes out of the hands of our children.