electronic cigarette.jpg

Oregon lawmakers are considering banning e-cigarette smoking indoors as well as sales to minors.

(Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press)

SALEM -- The Senate on Monday approved tighter restrictions on electronic cigarettes, including bans on indoor use and sales to minors.

House Bill 2546, which passed the Senate in a 22-8 vote, would make it illegal to "vape" indoors -- including at bars, restaurants and workplaces -- as of Jan. 1, 2016. It would also outlaw businesses from selling vaporizers, nicotine liquid and other accessories to minors, bringing Oregon in line with 41 other states.

The bill comes in response to rising concern in Oregon and nationwide over possible health consequences of e-cigarettes and their potential to attract young users. E-cigarettes use a battery-powered atomizer to deliver vaporized nicotine to the lungs. They remain unregulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

"An 11-year-old can walk into a store and buy an e-cigarette containing nicotine," Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, D-Beaverton, said in a floor speech. "That, colleagues, is not what we want for the future of our state."

Multnomah County has its own ban on e-cigarette sales to minors and vaping in the workplace, which took effect last month.

Cigarette smoking among high school students in Oregon has fallen precipitously in recent years. Less than 10 percent of 11th-graders smoked in 2013, down from more than 30 percent in 1998, according to Oregon Health Authority survey data.

At the same time, e-cigarette use among teenagers here is rising faster than in other states. Use among 11th-graders nearly tripled in recent years, from 1.8 percent in 2011 to 5.2 percent in 2013. That compares with a 1.5 percent to 2.8 percent rise nationally.

Although scientists haven't concluded the exact risks e-cigarettes might pose, some research shows the vapor contains harmful chemicals. A Portland State University study released in January found that a pack-a-day equivalent of e-cigarette use produces five times the amount of formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.

State and local lawmakers are also considering tax increases on e-cigarettes. At least two bills in the House would tax e-cigarettes the same as traditional ones, and Multnomah County commissioners have started discussing a possible wholesale tax.

Some Republicans senators voted no on the bill, disagreeing with a provision that directs money gathered from fines to the Oregon Health Authority instead of the state's general fund.

The bill is now headed back to the House floor for final approval.

-- Ian K. Kullgren

503-294-4006; @IanKullgren