Only logged-in users can post comments. Please log in or register if you wish to leave a comment. We do our best to respond to any comments. We cannot provide legal advice in the comments, so if you have a question or need legal help, please see Getting Legal Help. Raising the legal age for the sale of tobacco products from 18 to 21 or 21 is a nationally recognized tobacco prevention strategy for young people. Almost all smokers start smoking at the age of 21. By bringing young people above this critical threshold for brain development and addiction, we can significantly reduce the number of people who start smoking and become addicted to smoking. This will reduce smoking rates, prevent disease and reduce long-term health care costs. California, Hawaii, New Jersey, Maine, and Oregon have all enacted statewide tobacco laws.21 It is illegal to smoke in a car while a person under the age of 18 is present. This is illegal even if the car is parked and the windows are open. This does not apply to e-cigarettes. It is still legal to use an e-cigarette when minors are in the car. According to the Illinois Department of Health, research conducted in Finland seems to support the idea that smoking rates among young people decrease when the legal age to purchase tobacco products is raised and enforced.
Daily smoking decreased among 14-16 year olds after the legal age to buy tobacco products in Finland was raised from 16 to 18. The most common argument against raising the legal smoking age to 21 concerns other rights granted to the age of 18. When someone turns 18, they have the right to choose, serve in the military, and marry legally in most states. Some argue that it is fundamentally a violation of an adult`s rights to prohibit them from using tobacco products. Exposure to nicotine during adolescence can impair brain development and function. Adolescents may be more susceptible to addictive behaviors than adults because the anterior part of the brain, which is responsible for decision-making and impulse control, is not yet developed. If people under the age of 21 are not allowed to buy tobacco products, this can lead to a significant reduction in the number of people who become addicted to tobacco as adults. Removes the illegal “possession laws” for minors seen with the above products and removes a provision that would require a minor and guardian to take a smoking prevention course. This means that no one under the age of 21 can buy tobacco products. Tobacco products include cigarettes, e-cigarettes and alternative nicotine products. Examples of e-cigarettes include: This could significantly reduce the $5.5 billion in annual health care costs associated with tobacco product use.
Productivity losses due to adult smoking are estimated at $5.5 billion. Dozens of municipalities across the state had already banned the sale of tobacco to people under the age of 21. Smoking at a young age increases the risk of lung cancer. For most smoking-related cancers, the risk increases if the person continues to smoke. Among youth, the short-term health consequences of smoking include respiratory disease, nicotine dependence, and the risk associated with other drug use. Currently, 16 states have raised the age of tobacco purchase from 18 to 21. As of July 1, 2019, you must be at least 21 years old to legally purchase tobacco products in the State of Illinois. This means that if you are under 21, it is illegal for you to buy these items: one of the arguments for raising the legal age to 21 is to prevent at-risk youth from becoming addicted to tobacco and nicotine products. Studies suggest that most people who smoke tobacco products started at the age of 18. A 1986 report by Phillip Morris found that raising the legal age to purchase tobacco products would reduce their key market (17 to 20 years).
In Illinois, Tobacco 21 has already been adopted by more than 30 communities covering nearly one-third of Illinois, including communities in Aurora, Berwyn, Bolingbrook, Buffalo Grove, Chicago, Deerfield, Elk Grove Village, Evanston, Glen Ellyn, Gurnee, Highland Park, Hopkins Park, Lincolnshire, Maywood, Mundelein, Naperville, Oak Park, Peoria, Riverwoods, Skokie, Vernon Hills, Washington, Wheaton and Wilmette. and is being considered by dozens of others. Lake County is the first in Illinois to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco in its unincorporated areas. More than 430 cities in 24 states and six states have already adopted Tobacco 21. In most states where marijuana is legal for medical or recreational purposes, the legal age to purchase marijuana products is 18. This new proposal could create an unbalanced situation where someone can legally purchase marijuana, but not tobacco products. There has been speculation that this could lead young people to consume more cannabis products, as tobacco is not available to them. Proponents of these initiatives point out that most adult smokers started smoking before the age of 21, so raising the legal purchasing age to 21 will reduce the number of adult smokers. This will then reduce health care costs and lost productivity associated with smoking. SPRINGFIELD — As of July 1, 2019, Illinois residents must be at least 21 years old to purchase tobacco, including cigarettes, chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes and vapes. Governor JB Pritzker signed the initiative, known as Tobacco 21, on April 7, 2019.
Illinois was Illinois` 7th birthday. State in the United States (with Virginia), which has implemented the increase in the age of tobacco purchase from 18 to 21. “I am so proud that Illinois was the first Midwestern state to raise the age of tobacco purchase to 21,” Governor Pritzker said. “This legislation will reduce costs for our state, make our schools and communities healthier to learn and live in, and most importantly, save lives. I am grateful to Senate President John Cullerton and our legislators in the General Assembly, as well as all the advocates and organizations who made this important legislation possible. “Once again, we have seen the difference that Governor Pritzker is making to power,” Senate Speaker John Cullerton said. “He, too, recognizes that this is an important improvement in public health, protecting our children from known danger and hopefully sparing many people lifelong addiction and health problems.” About 4,800 Illinois teens become new daily smokers each year. In 2016, 15.8 percent of Illinois adults smoked, resulting in about 18,300 smoking-related deaths per year.
In 2017, 7.6% of high school students smoked at least one day in the past 30 days. “Nicotine is addictive, and adolescents and young adults are more sensitive to its effects because their brains are still developing,” said Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. “Delaying the age at which teens first try tobacco can help reduce the likelihood of smoking in adulthood. Raising the age of purchase will not only help reduce the number of smokers, but also reduce medical costs in Illinois and make our communities healthier. “Tobacco 21 will help keep tobacco out of high schools. Most underage tobacco users rely on social sources such as friends and family to obtain tobacco. About 90% of those who supply cigarettes to minors are themselves under the age of 21. Sets the legal age to sell e-cigarette products at 16 to comply with tobacco laws with exceptions for family businesses. Prohibits the sale of tobacco, vaping and liquid nicotine products to persons under the age of 21. Alternatives to nicotine are products that do not contain tobacco but contain nicotine.
Examples of alternative nicotine products include: The initiative was developed to reduce smoking prevalence among youth. Hopefully, this will reduce the overall burden of disease associated with tobacco product use in the state. The law specifically prohibits the sale of tobacco, vaping or liquid nicotine products to anyone under the age of 21 in the state of Illinois. The National Academy of Medicine estimates that raising the state`s legal age to buy tobacco products to 21 could reduce overall smoking rates among adults (over 21) by up to 12%. It is assumed that the largest decline in tobacco use occurs among 15- to 20-year-olds. In recent years, the RHA has been actively working towards the enactment of a national tobacco law.21 The Illinois House of Representatives and Senate have reintroduced a bill to raise the age of purchase of cigarettes and other tobacco products from 18 to 21. Get the current status of the House Act and the current status of the Senate Act. According to the Illinois Department of Health, about 4,800 Illinois teens become smokers every day. In 2017, an estimated 7.6% of high school students smoked at least once a month.
In 2016, it was estimated that about 15.8 percent of Illinois adults smoked, resulting in more than 18,000 deaths per year from smoking. Adds e-cigarettes to products allowed to be purchased by minors to orchestrate “bites” or compliance checks by law enforcement, meaning law enforcement would be able to perform vaping facilities without legal issues of a minor trying to purchase the prohibited products. High-tech tax stamps will help reduce the theft of tobacco products, and increasing tobacco taxes will reduce smoking rates. Measures to reduce exposure to second-hand smoke are good for everyone, but especially for people with lung disease. National data show that about 95% of adult smokers start smoking before the age of 21. According to a study by the National Academy of Medicine, tobacco policy 21 could reduce smoking by 12% overall by the time today`s teens grow up. The largest decline in tobacco use can be seen among adolescents aged 15 to 17 (25%) and 18 to 20 (15%).