Judge Upholds Multnomah County, Ore.’s Flavored Tobacco Ban
Earlier this month, Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Benjamin Souede upheld Multnomah County’s ban on the sale of flavored tobacco and nicotine products that it passed last December, saying that current law does not prevent the county, acting as the local public health authority, from passing ordinances that will regulate the sale of flavored tobacco products.
The suit challenging the legality of the ban was filed by a group called 21+ Tobacco along with the Vapor Retail Association of Oregon, No Moke Daddy, LLC, and Paul Bates. It argued that the county’s tobacco retail licensure program were both unlawful and unenforceable.
“To the contrary, and with striking clarity, ORS 431A.218(2) expressly authorizes local health authorities to pass such ordinances,” wrote Soude. ORS 431A.218(2) says that each local public health authority may enforce standards for regulating the retail sale of tobacco products and inhalant delivery systems for purposes related to public health and safety.
The judge went on to say that the plaintiffs’ argument was flawed and not persuasive.
As it stands now, the ordinance banning the sale of flavored tobacco and nicotine products by licensed tobacco retailers in Multnomah County will go into effect in January 2024.
Patrick Lagreid
I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.
Related Posts
-
December 3, 2022 -
December 15, 2022
