A report published by the New York Times revealed how the US Chamber of Commerce, an organization promoting American trade and business interests, has been making efforts to stop antismoking legislation in other nations.

The news did not go well with some members of the chamber and CVS Health Corporation announced its departure from the same. Many Senate Democrats have signed a letter warning the chamber for lobbying against anti-smoking laws and have supported the CVS Health’s decision.

Last year, CVS Health announced that it will not sell tobacco products in its 7,800 locations. CVS Health runs the second-largest chain of drug stores in the country. There are other retailers as well that do not sell tobacco products including Whole Foods, Target and Wegmans. But they did not reveal whether they would also be following the CVS’s decision.

The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce said they are troubled by the report that the US Chamber has been advocating against restrictions on smoking in other nations. David R. Palombi, senior vice-president of CVS Health, said they were stunned to read the news revealing the US Chamber of Commerce’s position on tobacco products in other nations.

“CVS Health's purpose is to help people on their path to better health, and we fundamentally believe tobacco use is in direct conflict with this purpose”, affirmed David.

On the other hand, the chamber stated that it has been misrepresented. It is just looking out for American business interests. The chamber stated that it is quite unfortunate that the intensive misinformation campaign for its position on smoking has led a company to lead the organization.

The chamber cleared that it does not support smoking and wants that people should quit the habit. Also, at the same place it supports protecting the intellectual property and trademarks of all legal products in every industry.