    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
    [July 10, 1996]
    [Page 1113]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on A&P Stores' Decision To Remove Cigarette Vending Machines
    July 10, 1996

        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.