Walmart Halts E-Cigarette Sales Amid Vaping Health Crisis
Walmart is pulling electronic cigarettes from its shelves due to mounting health concerns and regulatory uncertainty surrounding vaping. The decision follows a surge in lung injuries and actions by other major retailers to restrict tobacco sales.
Walmart announces it stops selling electronic cigarettes at all of its namesake stores and Sam's Club locations. The nation's largest retailer cites growing federal, state, and local regulatory complexity as the primary reason for this decision. Stores continue to sell their remaining inventory before completely removing the products from shelves.
This move happens as health officials report 530 confirmed or probable cases of lung injury associated with vaping, resulting in eight deaths. While originally viewed as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, vaping attracts a new generation of nicotine addicts, with use among high school seniors doubling from 11% to 25% between 2017 and 2019.
The retail giant already raises the minimum age for buying tobacco products to 21 and discontinues fruit- and dessert-flavored e-cigarettes earlier this year. Walmart joins other pharmacy chains like Rite Aid, Walgreens, and CVS in restricting tobacco and vaping products as the Trump administration moves toward a ban on flavored vaping products.