Oak Forest Bans Minors From Buying All Nicotine Products

OAK FOREST, IL — Teens under 18 will no longer be able to buy gum, e-cigarettes or other products that contain nicotine in Oak Forest after the city council voted Tuesday to ban the sale of all of them to minors.

The city already bans the sale of cigarettes and tobacco to anyone under 18, but it updated its current ordinances to clarify that the ban will now include all alternative nicotine products, including e-cigarettes, vaporizers and gum.

Businesses will not be permitted to sell the products to minors, and minors will not be able to buy them. They also will not be able to own them without parental or guardian permission. All business that sell the products must post signs about the city's ban.

At the meeting, a dean from Oak Forest High School, Jason Thormeyer, described the problem e-cigarettes creates for schools. They're small and easy to hide, and look like everyday devices, such as flash drives.

Oak Forest joins municipalities across the region in banning the sale of tobacco and nicotine products beyond cigarettes. In January, Arlington Heights banned the sale of all them to anyone under 21.

Photo via Shutterstock.