WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama issued an unusual statement on Wednesday, praising America's largest drugstore chain for agreeing to stop selling tobacco products.

CVS Caremark, which runs 7,600 stores across America, announced earlier in the day that it had decided to stop selling tobacco products to discourage smoking.

“As one of the largest retailers and pharmacies in America, CVS Caremark sets a powerful example,” said the US president.

“Today's decision will help ... efforts to reduce tobacco-related deaths, cancer, and heart disease ... — ultimately, saving lives and protecting untold numbers of families from pain and heartbreak for years to come.”

Mr Obama, who has been a smoker himself, said “all who helped make a choice that will have a profoundly positive impact on (people's) health” deserved praise.

First lady Michelle Obama also praised CVS, saying on Twitter: “Now we can all breathe a little easier, and our families can live healthier.”