Washington County, Ore.’s Flavored Tobacco Ban Struck Down
A judge has struck down Washington County’s flavored tobacco ban, saying that counties in Oregon do not have the authority to enact such measures and that they must come from the state legislature.
On Monday, Circuit Judge Andrew Erwin issued his ruling, noting that while counties can regulate how sales of such products are made, they cannot bar them entirely. This effectively brings an end to a ban passed by the county’s Board of Commissioners in November 2021 and approved by voters in May 2022 after a petition was filed to put the matter on the ballot.
The ban sought to prohibit the sale of flavored tobacco products and flavored synthetic nicotine, as well as prohibit price promotions, coupons and discounts.
In a written statement issued on Wednesday, the county said that it disagrees with the Court’s ruling and is considering options for an appeal.
Washington County is located directly west of Portland and has a population of around 600,000 people.
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
-
November 3, 2021
-
May 18, 2022
