Walmart said that they will stop selling e-cigarettes after an eighth person was confirmed to have died as a result of a mysterious illness related to vaping. The retailer will not pull the items off their shelves but will stop offering them once they sell out.
Over 500 people have been diagnosed with a mysterious lung disease which health officials blame on vaping, though they have not been able to identify the specific cause. The Food and Drug Administration has opened a criminal investigation into the issue, while the Trump administration is preparing a ban on flavored vape cartridges and oils.
Some states and cities have taken matters into their own hands with New York and Michigan moving to ban flavored products.
Walmart explained that its decision was based in part on the regulatory "uncertainty regarding e-cigarettes."
"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's Club US locations," the company said in a statement. "We will complete our exit after selling through current inventory."
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