Walmart Will No Longer Sell E-Cigarettes To Prevent Vaping-Related Deaths

As responding to increasing health concerns, Walmart will discontinue the sale of electric cigarettes. According to a memo obtained by Yahoo Finance and CNBC, this retail chain is likely to stop selling electric cigarettes in Sam’s Club as well as every US store it owns once they clear all the existing inventories. This move is due to the increasing levels of “regulatory complexity and uncertainty.”

It is easy to know the reason why Walmart might hesitate. The ban on flavored electric cigarettes is imposed in New York and Michigan state; meanwhile, the federal government has also moved toward banning flavored e-cigarette products. A report showing eight deaths due to lung disease has raised the CDC’s concerns. At the same time, Juul, as well as other electric cigarette makers, were chastised by FDA for allegedly marketing e-cig to teenagers along with offering inaccurate health claims. The retailer still doesn’t know what kind of e-cigs it is able to trade in the future. Moreover, e-cigs might disappear in Walmart if their stigma increases.

Within recent months, this is not the first time Walmart has addressed hazardous products. It removed a variety of violent media and games last month. Besides, in September, Walmart outlined plans in order to reduce the sales of ammo and guns and prevent visitors from carrying weapons freely. The retailer knows that it plays an important role in different discussions around several risky products such as guns and electric cigarettes. Walmart is not in favor of being a part of any potential tragedies.

From 2017 to 2019, e-cigarettes have been extremely popular among high school students, increasing to between 11% and 25% of 12^th-graders. Earlier this year, the retailer has increased the minimum age to 21 for buying any tobacco products. In addition to e-cigs, other vaping products and smokeless tobacco are in tobacco offerings of Walmart.