Redeem now - Kroger will stop selling all vaping products, the company said Monday.
- Kroger cited regulatory concerns as the reason for stopping the sale of e-cigarettes.
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Kroger said Monday that it would stop selling all vaping products.
"Kroger is 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," a company spokesperson said. "The company will exit this category after selling through its current inventory."
Walmart also recently said it would stop selling vaping products, citing regulatory concerns.
Vaping has been tied to 18 deaths and more than 1,000 lung injury cases in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The Vapor Technology Association, a lobbying firm supportive of vaping, criticized Kroger for stopping the sale of vape prodcuts when it will continue to sell cigarettes.
"The 'simple truth' is that Kroger continues to sell deadly tobacco cigarettes, while hospitals in the United Kingdom have opened vape shops to sell a variety of flavored vapor products to help people quit smoking," said Tony Abboud, the association's executive director. "The fact that Kroger continues to be a willing promoter of cigarette smoking that kills 480,000 Americans every year raises serious questions about the motivation behind today's announcement."
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