Apple ditches vaping apps

Apple has removed 181 vaping-related apps from its app store, citing health concerns, reports CNN.

“Recently, experts ranging from the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] 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. 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,” the company said in a statement.

Apple said the apps are a mix of stores, social networks, news and games and represent 0.00010 percent of the 1.8 million apps available through the app store.

The apps now banned from the app store will continue to work for customers who already have them downloaded on their devices, and they can be transferred to new devices.

Apple’s move was applauded by groups such as the American Heart Association and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.