Walmart is about ready to quit vapes.
The retailer said today that it will stop selling “electronic nicotine delivery products” in Walmart and Sam’s Club stores in the U.S. as health officials wrestle with a surge of mysterious lung illnesses linked to vaping.
Walmart cited “growing federal, state and local regulatory complexity and uncertainty” as its reason for bailing on e-cigarettes and related products. But first, the retailer plans to unload its existing supply: “We will complete our exit after selling through current inventory,” the company said in a statement published by CNN.
So far 530 people have fallen sick and eight have died due to illnesses connected to vaping in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Trump administration recently proposed banning flavored e-cigarettes in the U.S.—months after Walmart announced plans to pull some flavors (“fruit- and dessert-flavored” products) from its shelves.
Also earlier this month, Walmart announced plans to cut back on sales of guns and ammunition, following two deadly shootings in its stores. The retailer will still sell “long barrel deer rifles and shotguns, much of the ammunition they require, as well as hunting and sporting accessories and apparel,” according to a statement published by CNBC.
Thankfully, Walmart already addressed the true (??) origin (??) of gun violence in America when it swiftly pulled “violent” and “aggressive” video game displays from its stores in August.
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