Budwey’s Supermarket is getting out of the cigarette business.

The popular Tonawanda area grocer will no longer offer cigarettes for sale once its current stock runs out.

Frank Budwey, owner of Budwey’s supermarkets, said he’s been considering abandoning tobacco sales at his two stores for about six months.

The factor that pushed him to finally do it was Wegmans making a similar announcement last month.

It’s worth losing shoppers who stop for cigarettes but purchase additional items if grocery stores can promote better health in the community, he said.

“I have a brother who has lung cancer,” Budwey said. “I personally am a non-smoker. It’s the right thing to do, and they (public health officials) have proven it to us over and over again. It’s the right thing for the health of the community.”

Convenience stores and gas stations will probably never stop selling tobacco products, Budwey said, but for larger chains it may be the better option.

Despite Wegmans largely promoting its cigarette ban as a public health concern, the cigarette business just isn’t as profitable as it used to be, he said.

At one point, Budwey’s could earn $20,000 a week in cigarette sales. Now, Budwey’s earns less than $1,000.

And there are several reasons for the dropping profits. Growing health concerns about smoking’s effects mean less people are smoking today than years ago.

But the Tonawandas are also close enough to American Indian reservations that customers can save as much as $15 a carton just by taking an extra drive, Budwey said.

About 60 percent of the price on a pack of cigarettes are taxes that go to state and federal agencies, not the sellers, he added.

“We were making about 10 percent on a pack,” he said. “It’s not a money-maker anymore.”

Christine Beecher, an occasional Budwey’s shopper, said she doesn’t smoke, but her parents who do go to reservations for their cigarettes.

“Both my parents smoke, and they live by the res, so I know they go to the res a lot,” she said. “I don’t really think it matters either way if the grocery stores are selling them anymore.”

Grocery store owners also can put themselves at risk by selling cigarettes, Budwey said.

Random attempts by state agencies to catch stores selling cigarettes to minors can result in lottery licenses being taken away.

If a store sells to a planted agent three times, the store loses the right to sell lottery tickets, Budwey said.

“No supermarket can afford to lose their lottery license,” he said. “It was an intelligent move (by the agencies). If stores lose their lottery license, they are going to put those guys right out of business.”

Budwey admits he was concerned about alienating existing customers, but said the response has been positive, so far.

“We were concerned about the customers being upset that they’d have to make another stop,” he said. “Now that we’ve told them, the customers are accepting it very, very well. They’re not complaining.”

Ronald Ralston, a cigar smoker and occasional Budwey’s shopper, said the move to rid shelves of tobacco products is the right one.

“I think it’s a good thing to stop everywhere, even though I smoke cigars,” he said. “It’s a bad habit. I hate to see anyone get into that.”

The Budwey’s Buffalo location is already cigarette-free and about a week’s worth of cigarettes are all that remain at the North Tonawanda location.

Once they sell out, they’re gone for good.

“And there will be inventory we’ll have to discard,” Budwey said. “Some of the brands don’t even sell anymore. We’ll have to cut our losses and throw them out.”

Contact reporter Caitlin Murray