Benton County, OR. to Consider Banning Smoking in Retail Tobacco Shops

The Benton County, Ore. Board of Commissioners will take public comment at their meeting today as they prepare to consider revisions to the county code that would prohibit smoking in retail tobacco stores, as well as to expand the smoking ban around public buildings to include accessibility ramps and lines of people standing outside the building. The proposal would also ban the sale of e-cigarettes to minors and prohibit their use wherever smoking is currently prohibited.

The changes would only apply to unincorporated parts of the county, but are designed to mirror changes made by the county’s largest city, Corvallis, though the city hasn’t banned smoking in tobacco stores yet.

The county currently has four exemptions that permit smoking in certain areas: private residences when not used as a child care, adult care or health care facility; bars; the bar portion of a restaurant, provided that it is a separate area with a ventilation system that prevents smoke from entering the restaurant; and retail tobacco stores.

Benton County is located in the Willamette Valley on the western side of the state, approximately 90 miles south of Portland. It is home to approximately 86,000 residents, as well as Oregon State University.