Washington County Public Health statement on Oregon Supreme Court ruling in favor of flavored tobacco ban ordinance

We are pleased to learn of the Oregon Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in favor of Ordinance 878, which, once implemented, will ban the sale of all flavored tobacco products in Washington County.

The Oregon Supreme Court’s unanimous decision sent the case back to Washington County Circuit Court to address the remaining procedural issues in the case and finalize the judgment. We understand it will take some weeks for the Circuit Court to complete those proceedings.

In addition, Washington County Public Health intends to take the time needed to support local retailers with guidance, educational materials and inspection steps to help with meeting compliance. We want retailers to succeed and will work with them to set them up for that success.

Washington County Public Health recognizes that adjusting to newly enacted rules can be challenging for any local business. To ease the transition, we plan to be responsive to any questions or concerns they may have regarding the implementation of Ordinance 878 as we want retailers in Washington County to succeed in their businesses.

We appreciate the time both the Supreme Court and Washington County Counsel spent examining the legal issues involved with this matter.

We encourage retailers to visit the Flavor Ban Ordinance 878 page for educational resources about the ordinance. They may also send questions to [email protected].