WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Department of Defense said Tuesday that is has stopped selling vape-related products at its exchange shops, as vape-related deaths continue to increase.

The Army and the Air Force pulled the products from their base shops on Sept. 30, while the Navy followed suit on Oct. 1, it said.

"Vaping is not harmless, and researchers are still trying to understand the long-term impacts and health effects from inhaling the vapor," said Kimberly Elenberg, director of Total Force Fitness for the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness.

"The vapor that users inhale can contain ultrafine particles, carcinogens, volatile organic compounds and heavy metals," she said.

The pulled products included e-cigarettes, e-cigs, vapes and e-hookahs.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of Oct. 8, the United States has seen 1,299 injury cases associated with vaping, while 26 deaths have been confirmed.