Apple has decided to remove all vaping apps from its app store due to the growing official concerns about the potential impact of vaping on health.
Apple has announced that it will be removing a total of 181 apps related to vaping from its app store due to increasing number of health issues associated with vaping or e-cigarettes. There have been 42 death and over 2,100 cases of lung injury linked to a respiratory illness attributed to vaping.
According to the tech company, it agreed with official warnings about the negative health impacts of vaping and the potential problem presented by the appeal to the young of e-cigarettes. Apple emphasized that it took "great care" in ensuring that the app store was a place people could trust in getting programs for their iPhone.
The vaping apps that were available on Apple’s app store allows users to control some of the features of their e-cigarettes while others simply keep them updated on vaping-related news or offered themed games.
Apple pointed out that while the apps will be removed from the app store, current users of the said apps on their iPhone could continue to use and transfer them to any new Apple device. The company started its initiative to remove the vaping apps in June when it decided to stop accepting any new apps related to e-cigarettes.
In October, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning asking consumers to stop using vaping products with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). FDA Acting Commissioner Dr. Ned Sharpless argued that the ongoing outbreak of vaping-related lung injuries highlights the need “to gather critical information and provide consumers with actionable information to help best protect themselves and their loved ones.”
Meanwhile, the state of New York placed a ban last September on the sale of flavored e-cigarettes due to increasing national concern regarding the safety of the products.
