Walgreens and Kroger are no longer selling e-cigarettes in stores.
CBS News reported that both retailers made separate statements to announce the news Monday.
The announcements come as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said earlier this month that more than 1,000 cases of lung injury have been reported in relation to e-cigarette use. Eighteen deaths associated with vaping have been confirmed, according to the CDC.
On Friday, the Federal Drug Administration strongly urged the public not to use any vaping products bought off the street.
“We have made the decision to stop selling e-cigarette products at our stores nationwide as the CDC, FDA and other health officials continue to examine the issue,” Walgreens said in a statement. “This decision is also reflective of developing regulations in a growing number of states and municipalities.”
Kroger will no longer sell e-cigarettes after stores run out of existing inventory.
“Kroger is discontinuing the sale of electronic nicotine delivery products, or e-cigarettes, at all store and fuel center locations due to the mounting questions and increasingly-complex regulatory environment associated with these products,” the company said. “The company will exit this category after selling through its current inventory.”
Rite Aid and Walmart have previously announced they would no longer sell vaping products. The New York Times reported in April that Rite Aid announced it would remove the items from its more than 2,400 stores over 90 days.
CNBC reported that Walmart announced in September that Sam’s Club and Walmart locations would no longer sell vaping products once it ran out of its existing inventory, citing “growing federal, state and local regulatory complexity and uncertainty regarding e-cigarettes.”
