In Victory for Kids and Health, Oregon Court of Appeals Upholds Multnomah County Law Ending Flavored Tobacco Sales

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Oregon Court of Appeals today upheld Multnomah County’s law ending the sale of flavored tobacco products, finding that it is not preempted by state law. Today’s ruling follows last year’s Court of Appeals ruling upholding a similar law in Washington County. This decision is a tremendous victory for kids and public health and affirms the authority of local governments in Oregon to address the devastating toll of tobacco use, which is the number one cause of preventable death. On the heels of this legal victory, we urge the Oregon legislature to pass Senate Bill 702 that will end the sale of flavored tobacco products statewide and protect all Oregon kids. 

These laws are critical to stopping the tobacco industry from continuing to hook kids with flavored products, including flavored e-cigarettes, menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. In Oregon, 10.8% of high school students currently use e-cigarettes, and research shows that about 90% of youth e-cigarette users nationwide use flavored products. Tobacco companies also target Black, LGBTQ+ and other communities with flavored products like menthol cigarettes, which are more addictive, easier for kids to start smoking and harder for smokers to quit. By ending the sale of flavored tobacco products, policy makers can protect kids, save lives and save money by reducing tobacco-related healthcare costs, which total $1.8 billion a year in Oregon. 

We applaud the leaders of Multnomah County and public health advocates who have championed the county’s flavored tobacco law. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids filed an amicus brief, joined by other leading public health, medical and community groups, in support of the Multnomah County law. Today, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids filed an amicus brief in the Oregon Supreme Court in the Washington County case, joined by 12 national, state and local public health and medical groups.