A major U.S. retailer has announced that it will stop selling tobacco products, including cigarettes and e-cigarettes, in its stores starting later this month.

Stop & Shop, which operates over 360 stores in northeastern states such as New York and New Jersey, will join other major retailers in removing the products as part of its “commitment to community well-being.”

“Our responsibility as a grocer extends far beyond our shelves, and we are committed to taking bold steps to help our associates, customers and communities work toward better health outcomes,” said Gordon Reid, president of Stop & Shop.

More: Shoplifting suspects arrested at Walgreens and Safeway in ‘anti-theft blitz’

“Stop & Shop wants to promote the health and well-being of the neighborhoods we serve.”

“This exit from the tobacco sector is another way to achieve this goal,” he added.

The news was welcomed by public health advocates, including the American Cancer Society.

“This is a step in the right direction toward ending the tobacco industry’s influence on children, and we know more can be done to reduce the negative impacts of tobacco use in our society,” said Karen Knudsen, CEO of the American Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

Stop & Shop is the latest retailer to stop selling tobacco products in its stores.

Target has not sold cigarettes since 1996, CVS followed suit in 2014, and Walmart announced it will stop selling tobacco products in some of its stores in 2022.

However, some major retailers, including Publix, continue to sell cigarettes in their stores.