Good Golly, Miss Mollie!

I just happened to notice a sign at the register at my local Mollie Stone's grocery store:

Mollie Stone's has decided to take a positive, aggressive approach to help stop the spread of smoking.

As of today, October 5, Mollie Stone's will no longer offer tobacco products for sale.

We respect your right to smoke and thank you for understanding our position.

Now I have no quarrel with Mollie Stone's selling whatever products it thinks will move off its shelves.  If MS doesn't want the hassle of selling tobacco products--checking ID, collecting the various taxes that the federal, state and local government imposes on smokers, etc., who can blame them? 

No.  What really urks me is the unctuous, sanctimonious way they deliver the bad news to all those Marlboro men out there.

Mollie Stone's has decided to take a positive, aggressive approach to help stop the spread of smoking.

Mollie Stone's as guardian of society's values.  What the heck is a "positive, aggressive approach" anyway?  Positive and aggressive aren't two words that are usually paired in a sentence.  I imagine Mollie Stone as the ur-Mill Valley house wife, casual blouse and sweater, expensively understated jewelry, slacks and loafers, hands on hips, forced smile and slightly furrowed brow, standing in front of her BMW SUV--Look, guys I'm REALLY TRYING to be positive here...just don't cross me or I might get aggressive...

The other part that bothers me is the defiant yet insincere nod to individual rights. 

We respect your right to smoke and thank you for understanding our position.

Mollie seems to be saying "Hey, pal, you made your choice and we made ours; now get over it".  The whole thing strikes me as a bit defensive.  And no, Mollie, I don't understand your position. It's not consistent.  If you want to go around taking positive, aggressive approaches to health issues why not stop offering red meat for sale to take a positive, aggressive approach to heart disease? Or stop offering liquor for sale to take a positive, aggressive approach to alcoholism?  Or stop offering candy for sale as a positive, aggressive approach to diabetes?  Now here's a chilling thought for the day after Halloween:  Maybe those are the next things to go on Mollie's list....