Walmart to stop selling e-cigarettes amid health worries over vaping

Brett Molina

USA TODAY

Published 6:19 PM EDT Sep 20, 2019

Walmart said it will stop selling e-cigarettes at its stores, becoming the latest company to crack down following an outbreak of illnesses and deaths associated with vaping.

In a statement obtained by USA TODAY, the nation’s largest retailer said it will complete its exit from e-cigarette sales after selling what’s currently available on store shelves.

“Given the growing federal, state and local regulatory complexity and uncertainty regarding e-cigarettes, we plan to discontinue the sale of electronic nicotine delivery products at all Walmart and Sam’s Club U.S. locations,” Walmart said in its statement.

Walmart joins several other corporations limiting the reach of e-cigarettes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it was investigating more than 450 cases of a lung disease linked to vaping.

Media giants Viacom, CBS and WarnerMedia all revealed this week that they would stop running advertisements for e-cigarettes.

Last week, President Donald Trump said he would seek to ban the sale of flavored vape products to discourage e-cigarette use.

“It’s causing a lot of problems, and we’re going to have to do something about it,” Trump said.

Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.

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