Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, will increase the minimum age to buy tobacco products, marking a big moment in the fight against teen nicotine addiction, reports CNN.
The company announced Wednesday it will stop selling tobacco or e-cigarettes products to anyone under the age of 21 in the United States. The changes will take effect July 1 at all American Walmart and Sam’s Club locations.
The company will stop selling sweet-flavored e-cigarettes, which have become popular among teenagers.The policy shift comes after Walmart received a letter from the US Food and Drug Administration for not fully prohibiting kids under 18 from buying tobacco products at its stores. The FDA conducted roughly 13,000 compliance checks since 2010 and said Walmart passed only 93% of them.
