Apple is removing all vaping-related apps from its App Store on Friday, Axios reports.
The move comes after numerous reports of lung injuries associated with e-cigarettes, which has affected thousands in the U.S. and has resulted in 42 deaths, according to CDC.
While Apple hasn’t allowed sale of vape cartridges directly from its apps, the app store contains numerous vaping-related apps — 181 in total, Axios reports.
An Apple spokesperson pointed out the vaping-related injuries as the reason behind this move.
“Experts ranging from the CDC to the American Heart Association have attributed a variety of lung injuries and fatalities to e-cigarette and vaping products, going so far as to call the spread of these devices a public health crisis and a youth epidemic. We agree, and we’ve updated our App Store Review Guidelines to reflect that apps encouraging or facilitating the use of these products are not permitted. As of today, these apps are no longer available to download,” the spokesperson told Axios. Read more…
