INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Walmart is planning to pull electronic cigarettes from stores, according to a report by CNBC citing internal company documents.
The move
comes as federal regulators are putting mounting pressure on the industry in the face of illnesses that have swept across the country and
have been tied to vaping (although the culprit seems to be grey-market products used for THC consumption — rather than tobacco).
However,
regulators and private sector health advocates are both alarmed by the dramatic increase in teen vaping rates, and have made moves to ban
Some countries where smoking is rampant are taking a preliminary step of banning electronic cigarettes altogether.
Given the growing
federal, state and local regulatory complexity and uncertainty regarding e-cigarettes, we plan to discontinue the sale of electronic
nicotine delivery products at all Walmart and Sam Club United States locations,& the company said in a memo, according to CNBC
reporting.
Earlier this month the philanthropic organization affiliated with billionaire former mayor Mike Bloomberg said that it would
commit $160 million to get kids to stop vaping
Just a day later, the White House said that it would take steps to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarette cartridges.
Trump administration is
readying tighter regulations on e-cigarettes, including ban on flavorings
Meanwhile, the health officials are scrambling to find a cause
for the vaping-related lung illness that has sickened at least 530 people in the United States , according to new reports
So far, seven people have died from the illness, according to a statement yesterday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and
no single substance or product has been connected to the cases, yet.
So far, the illness has cropped up in 38 states.
Walmart has already
taken steps to limit teens& access to tobacco products
The company raised the buying age for tobacco goods to 21 earlier this year
It was a response to what regulators have called an &epidemic& of teen vaping with at least 25 percent of students claiming to use
e-cigarettes.
This all spells bad news for Juul, the leading e-cigarette supplier, which raised $12.8 billion from the tobacco giant, Altria
Group in a December 2018 investment.
As the dominant e-cigarette brand, with something like a 70% market share, the company has become the
focus of regulatory scrutiny
Earlier this month, the FDA threatened the company with regulatory action as a result of its marketing practices.
FDA says Juul ‘ignored
the law& and warns it may take action
So far, Juul has said it will comply with all regulations imposed by the government
When the latest suggestion of a federal ban on flavored products went out, the company said, &We strongly agree with the need for aggressive
category-wide action on flavored products
We will fully comply with the final FDA policy when effective.
Walmart did not respond to a request for comment at the time of
