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TUESDAY, Oct. 8, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Walgreens and Kroger have followed Walmart and Rite Aid in halting sales of electronic cigarettes.<\/p>\n
“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. This decision is also reflective of developing regulations in a growing number of states and municipalities,” according to a Walgreens statement released Monday, CBS News<\/i> reported. Walgreens is the largest drugstore chain in the United States.<\/p>\n
In a statement, Kroger said it was “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.”<\/p>\n
U.S. health officials are investigating at least 18 confirmed deaths and 1,080 probable vaping illnesses in 48 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands, CBS News<\/i> reported. Most of those cases involved people who vaped tetrahydrocannabinol, while 17 percent used only nicotine, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<\/p>\n