Heartline Magazine July-September 2003 Collins Ltd says No to Smoking Drop into Collins Limited on Broad Street any day and you will be able to choose from a wide range of quality personal and household items in the retail store, or have your prescriptions efficiently filled at the pharmacy. One thing you won't find on the shelves, however, is cigarettes or tobacco products. That's because, as a company at the forefront of the anti-smoking drive, Collins Ltd. took a position in 1999 not to sell or to promote the sale of cigarettes, or to allow smoking on its premises. Relating the history of how Collins Limited came to the decision to stop selling tobacco products, chairman of the board and managing director Peter Bourne recalls that some years ago the company was the distributor for cigarette wrappers. "Those little strips of paper in pack­ages were the single most profitable item in our business at the time, said Mr. Bourne.”They were bought like hot cakes in stores and shops all across Barbados. We also had good sales in the is­lands. Then I realized why they were so popular. They were not only used for wrapping cigarettes, but mostly for some­thing else. Right away we stopped selling them. In fact, one day I put the entire stock on a boat and dumped the lot in the ocean”. "That was 15 years ago," continued Mr. Bourne. "However, we continued to sell cigarettes and other tobacco prod­ucts; although a few years later we made the first step by ban­ning smoking on our premises”. Collins Limited then got involved with Dr. Tony Gale's anti­smoking campaign. The company helped with the underwriting of the cost of posters and advertising, also with the distribution of Dr. Gale's book. "I felt very strongly about the issue" said Mr. Bourne "and got personally involved and very supportive of the anti-smoking campaign." Added to this was the fact that an old school friend of Peter Bourne, who was in fact employed with the company, collapsed on the job and died shortly afterward. "He had been addicted to smoking", said Mr. Bourne, "and had con­tracted cancer in the throat, lungs, and it seemed everywhere else. It got to me. I decided then and there that that was it. Smoking doesn't gel with good health. Here we are on the one hand in the business of dispensing medication, also manufacturing and selling products that promote good health, and at the same time selling cigarettes, which are known to be hazardous to health. It just didn't make sense. I called a meeting of the board and we made a policy decision then and there that we would stop selling cigarettes and tobacco products." Incidentally, Collins Limited had made a similar decision over 7 years ago not to sell liquor for the same reason, that there was a conflict of interest. Noted Mr. Bourne: "Integrity is the hallmark of a good business. And Collins Limited has grown over the years on the strength of good business practices and a caring staff." One of Bridgetown's oldest and most respected firms, Collins Limited opened its doors as a small pharmacy in Tudor Street in 1888. Today the operation consists of the re­tail store and dispensary on Broad Street, and corporate of­fices and a wholesale department in Warrens, St. Michael. Carlisle Laboratories Limited, a subsidiary company manu­facturing pharmaceuticals, is located in the spacious well-appointed complex at Warrens. Altogether the company employs over 240 people. What affect did the decisions to stop selling liquor and tobacco products have on Collins Limited's profitability? "Liquor was not a big sales item for us," said Mr. Bourne, "so it didn't matter' so much. Cigarettes, on the other hand were in the top ten most profitable items at the store, and, yes, it meant a drop in revenue initially. But by focusing on other areas we more than made up for any perceived losses. We have a very efficient distribution system. So efficient, in fact, that it is ironic that after we had made the decision to stop selling cigarettes, we received an offer from a major cigarette manufacturer to distribute their products for them - which, of course, we declined". "I would like to suggest to other retailers to review their policy towards selling cigarettes. In fact, I would like to see us in Barbados get to the stage of some provinces in Canada where, it is my understanding that pharmacies are not allowed to retail cigarettes. We at Collins made our decision and we certainly have not regretted it. If more local businesses follow, than we would be further along the road on our fight to improve the health of Barbadians." This article was written by Tony Cumberbatch   Home | About Us | Contact Us | CDP&R | ECC | Our Partners | Heartline | Become a Member | Become a Volunteer | Heart Disease | Stroke | Medication | Mission Statement | Aims & Objectives