OREGON— On Thursday, the Oregon Health Authority issued a public health warning urging Oregonians to stop using vaping products immediately.
That came after the second confirmed death in Oregon and the 13th death in the nation due to vaping.
“The safety of this product has been in question for a long time, we know this product is not safe and we’ve seen health effects from this product,” Dean Sidelinger, Oregon State Health Officer, said. “With these acute respiratory injuries and deaths, we urge all individuals to stop vaping.”
Following the OHA recommendation, Governor Kate Brown is taking it a step further trying to temporarily ban all e-cigarette and vaping products.
She’s reached out to the Department of Justice to find out what legal options her office can take to ban vaping products. She’s also asked the OHA for recommendations on what can be done to protect Oregonians right now.
According to the Oregon Health Authority, some of those recommendations include:
- Implement a six-month temporary moratorium on sale and display of all vaping products, including tobacco, nicotine, and cannabis, while the federal investigation is underway and Oregon’s evaluation of the ban is conducted.
- Implement a statewide prevention campaign aimed at discouraging the use of vaping and combustible products…
- Continue to encourage all health care providers to report cases of vaping-associated acute lung injury to OHA so the agency has more complete data and understanding of the health impact of vaping.
To view a full list of options, click here.
“Until we know more, I am urging all Oregonians, adults and youth, to take heed of this public health warning and to cease the use of vaping products,” Governor Brown said.
New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Michigan have implemented some form of a temporary ban on e-cigarette and vaping products. Now, Governor Brown is looking to do the same.
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