Alibaba Halts Vaping Component Sales In The US

Regulators continue to examine reports of disease and deaths allegedly linked to eCigarettes.

And amid that scrutiny, Chinese eCommerce giant Alibaba said on Wednesday (Oct. 9) that it will stop selling eCigarette components in the United States, Reuters reports.

The move by Alibaba follows other announcements by drugstores such as Kroger and Walgreens Boots Alliance, and retailing juggernaut Walmart, that they would stop selling those products.

Alibaba, for its part, according to the report, has said that it has a policy in place where the company does not sell complete eCigarette or vaping products in the U.S. The listings for the products — which span vape pens, herbal vapors and empty pod cartridges — now will not be displayed for U.S. based users, according to reports. The move to suspend those listings comes after Amazon had last month taken down a number of listings also tied to vape components and products.

As has been widely reported, vaping has been linked to lung illness and at least some reports of deaths — as many as 18 fatal cases. Reuters reported the reports of the lung illnesses top 1,000 cases. The incidences of injuries and deaths have, the newswire said, been linked to what are being termed “makeshift brands” other than the dominant market player, Juul Labs.

A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and a number of state and local health departments are examining what has been classified as a “multi state outbreak of lung injury” spanning 48 states and one U.S. territory. In an announcement, the CDC stated that “All patients have reported a history of using e-cigarette, or vaping, products. Most patients report a history of using THC-containing products. The latest national and regional findings suggest products containing THC play a role in the outbreak.”

The CDC has recommended, as reported last month by ABC News, “no one should buy THC or cannabinoid vaping products off the street and no one should modify or adulterate e-liquids purchased from a manufacturer.”