Under 21 Tobacco Ban To Take Effect, Come With $250 Fine

PLAINFIELD, IL — Despite opposition from trustee Cally Larson, the Plainfield village board last week voted to raise the age to purchase tobacco products in the village to 21. The new rule regulates the purchase of all tobacco products, accessories and electronic cigarettes and will take effect April 1, according to Plainfield police.

Anyone found to be in violation of the new ordinance will face a $250 fine, police said. The local ordinance could soon be followed by a statewide ban on sale of tobacco products to anyone under 21, with the Tobacco 21 bill heading to Gov. J.B. Pritzker's desk.

At a Feb. 25 Committee of the Whole meeting, trustees viewed a Will County Health Department report on the Tobacco 21 (T21) initiative with statistics including:

• 1 in 13 Americans age 17 or younger will die early from a smoking-related illness unless something is done to reduce tobacco use rates
• 230,000 Illinois teens alive today will die early from smoking
• Each year, tobacco products cost Illinois $5.49 billion in healthcare costs and $5.27 billion in lost productivity
• As of Jan. 8, 2019, six states — California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Oregon, Hawaii and Maine — have raised the age to purchase tobacco to 21
• Illinois communities that have adopted a Tobacco 21 ordinance include Arlington Heights, Aurora, Bolingbrook, Chicago, Deerfield, Elgin, Evanston, Highland Park, Naperville, Wheaton and Wilmette.

Larson cast the lone no vote. "I commend Will County for all the work and I don't disagree with all the effects smoking has in our community," she said.

"I do have concerns that while the data is staggering and there is a health crisis for (COPD), lung cancer and countless other health issues ... so are the staggering numbers regarding heart disease, diabetes and other health issues with regard to sugar consumption," Larson added, noting that the village doesn't regular the purchase of Coca-Cola, for example. "I don't believe it's the municipality's responsibility to step in regarding this age to bump it to 21."

Trustee Margie Bonuchi said while she understands Larson's passion, she supports the ordinance 100 percent. Trustee Larry Newton also said there was "no way" he was voting against raising the age to purchase tobacco.

"I think it's good for our community to be one of the first to be out front in doing this," trustee Ed O'Rourke said. "Plainfield should be on the forefront with protecting its greatest asset, which is its young people."

Trustee Brian Wojowski also was in favor of raising the age, saying with certain products like vapes there is the added danger of not knowing for sure what the product contains.

Trustee Bill Lamb had a more personal response to the ordinance.

"I've seen too many people with COPD and health problems," he said. "I'm old enough that a lot of people that have smoked, relatives and such, are no longer here," Lamb said. "This is not a solution but it's a step in the right direction."

Bolingbrook became Will County's first "Tobacco 21" community a year ago.

According to the Will County Health Department, Evanston became the first Illinois city to become a Tobacco 21 community in 2014.

"With the Plainfield Village Board’s adoption of Tobacco 21, and the additional fact that all Plainfield Park District facilities are also tobacco-free, Plainfield has set the standard for all other towns in Will County, in its continued commitment to decrease youth tobacco and e-cigarette use," the health department said in a press release.