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NEW YORK — Walgreens and Kroger Co. both announced in separate statements on Monday, that they will stop selling e-cigarettes at their stores, amid heightened regulatory scrutiny of the product and reports of lung disease and some deaths linked to vaping.
“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,” said Walgreens in a statement. “This decision is also reflective of developing regulations in a growing number of states and municipalities,” the retailer added.
These moves come weeks after chains such as Walmart said they were pulling the plug on e-cigarette sales, citing growing federal, state and local regulatory complexity and uncertainty.
E-cigarettes and other vaping products have been linked to a mysterious lung illness that is reported to have led to 18 deaths as of last week, with the number of confirmed and probable cases of the condition exceeding 1,000, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
