Plainfield's Under 21 Tobacco Ban Taking Effect April 1: Police

PLAINFIELD, IL — On Monday, April 1, the Plainfield Police Department will begin enforcing the Tobacco 21 ordinance that was approved during the March 4 village board meeting. The police department reminded residents Friday of the upcoming enforcement, and added that the modified ordinance expanded the definition of "electronic (e) cigarettes" and changed the age at which a person may legally purchase of have electronic cigarettes, tobacco products and tobacco accessories.

Police said the sale of those items is prohibited to anyone under age 21, and said under the ordinance, electronic cigarette is defined as "any device that employs a battery or other mechanism to heal a solution or substance to produce a vapor or aerosol intended for inhalation," any electronic nicotine delivery system, electronic cigar, electronic pipe, electronic hookah, vape pen, electric cigarillo, or any similar product or device, and any part that can be used to build one of those devices or products.

Despite opposition from trustee Cally Larson, the Plainfield village board recently voted to raise the age to purchase tobacco products in the village to 21.

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.

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

According to a release, more than 400 communities across the country have already raised the age, including 34 jurisdictions in Illinois.

Evanston, Bolingbrook, Willmette, Wheaton, Naperville, Arlington Heights, Aurora, Evanston, Chicago, Highland Park, Buffalo Grove, and Peoria are a few of the cities in Illinois to raise the legal purchase age to 21.

Evanston became the first Illinois city to become a Tobacco 21 community in 2014. Lake County became the first county in the state to ban tobacco sales to people aged 18 to 21 in 2017. Last year, Bolingbrook became the first "Tobacco 21" community in Will County and has since been followed by Plainfield.

Related: Tobacco 21 Bill Passes Senate, Awaits Pritzker's Approval

"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.