Apple Removes Vaping Apps from App Store

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]A[/dropcap]s of Friday, Nov. 15, Apple has pulled all vaping-related apps from its app store in light of recent instances of vaping sickness and new vaping legislation.

According to Axios, Apple plans to remove all 181 vaping apps currently available in the store. While vaping apps don’t directly administer cannabis or nicotine to the consumer, they do work in conjunction with vaping products available for purchase. Apple also stopped accepting new vaping apps as of June 2019. “We take great care to curate the App Store as a trusted place for customers, particularly youth, to download apps,” said Apple in a statement to Axios. “We’re constantly evaluating apps and consulting the latest evidence to determine risks to users’ health and well-being.”

“Recently, experts ranging from the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] 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,” Apple added. “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.”

Many feel that this new move will help discourage youth from vaping and get rid of some of the appeal of vape products for people who are underage. It will likely help ensure that Apple is seen as a brand of action for those concerned about the current vaping sickness crisis.

The CDC has determined that vitamin E acetate is most likely the culprit of vaping sickness, and the rates of vaping illness have begun to decline. As of Nov. 13, the CDC reports that there are more than 2,000 cases of lung injuries caused by vaping in 49 states.