October 21, 2019 3:40 a.m.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown and officials with the Oregon Health Authority responded Friday to Thursday’s move by the Oregon Court of Appeals which granted a temporary stay of OHA rules that ban the sale of flavored nicotine vaping products at retail stores.
Kate Kondayen, Deputy Communications Director for Governor Brown, told News Radio 1240 KQEN that a temporary ban under the state’s emergency rulemaking process “is the best path forward available to Governor Brown and state agencies under Oregon law to protect the public health of Oregonians”.
Kondayen said the court’s decision “is unfortunate due to the ongoing public health threat posed by vaping products”. She said Governor Brown will continue to work with the Vaping Public Health Workgroup, state agencies, stakeholders and the Legislature to “find long term solutions that will protect the public health from vaping-related illness”.
A release from OHA said Brown’s executive order “is an evidence-based strategy to prevent youth, as well as adults attracted to flavors from being exposed to the health risks from vaping products and from being addicted to nicotine”. It said OHA continues to investigate vaping associated lung injuries and continues to urge all Oregonians who use vaping products to stop vaping immediately and take advantage of cessation resources.  OHA is encouraging businesses, despite the stay, to voluntarily keep flavored vaping products off the shelves to protect Oregonians, according to the release.