Waitrose has taken the bold move to remove a popular product from its stores in a bid to protect shoppers' health. The supermarket has announced it has banned the sale of two types of single use e-cigarettes.
The retailer has removed any item containing lithium from the shelves - something which had been formerly sold under the Ten Motives label, Birmingham Live reports
The move means Waitrose has become the first UK major supermarket to remove the single-use vaping products from stores - but Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Asda and Co op will still sell the products.
READ MORE: Wilko axes favourite item in every store effective immediately
Waitrose said: “Our move comes as reports suggest the market growth is being fuelled by the popularity among those who haven’t previously smoked.”
It comes as data from Action on Smoking (ASH) previously revealed the number of kids vaping had increased. The number of children that admitted to trying the products rose risen from 14 per cent in 2020 to 16 per cent in 2022.
Waitrose commercial director Charlotte Di Cello said: “We are a retailer driven by doing the right thing, so selling single-use vapes is not something we could justify given the impact on both the environment and the health of young people.
“We had already decided it wasn’t right to stock the fashionable bright-coloured devices which are seeing rapid growth – so this decision is the final jigsaw piece in our clear decision not to be part of the single-use vaping market.”
READ NEXT:
