Walgreens to halt sale of e-cigarettes in stores

Walgreens will halt the sale of e-cigarette products in its stores, the company announced Monday.

The pharmacy chain released a statement Monday saying the investigations by health officials and increasing regulations sparked the decision to remove the products from its more than 9,500 stores. 

{mosads}”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,” the statement read. “This decision is also reflective of developing regulations in a growing number of states and municipalities.”

Walgreens joins other companies such as Walmart and Kroger in its decision to stop selling e-cigarette products. Kroger also announced Monday that it is ending e-cigarette sales.

New York and Michigan have already banned flavored e-cigarettes, and Massachusetts has placed a temporary ban on their sale. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating the effects of e-cigarettes on users, as more than 1,000 have reported lung injury cases and 18 have died. The majority of those patients had used products including tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly referred to as THC.