Illinois will enforce new laws placing additional restrictions on electronic cigarettes beginning January 1. The legislation aims to address concerns about the accessibility and appeal of e-cigarettes to minors.
One law prohibits the advertising, marketing, or promotion of e-cigarettes in a manner that may cause confusion with non-tobacco products. State Sen. Julie Morrison, D-Lake Forest, noted that some e-cigarettes are designed to resemble school supplies like highlighters, erasers, and pencil sharpeners. “This law will prohibit tobacco companies from pulling the wool over the eyes of educators and guardians whose job it is to keep kids safe,” Morrison stated.
Elizabeth Hicks from the Consumer Choice Center warned that the crackdown on vaping might push some Illinoisans back to regular combustible cigarettes, burdening taxpayers with the cost of smoking-related illnesses. “Taxpayers unfortunately also suffer in addition to consumers,” Hicks said. “The annual Medicaid costs for smoking-related illnesses in Illinois is over $2 billion, which is one of the highest throughout the country.”
Another law prohibits e-cigarettes purchased by mail, online, or through other remote sale methods from being shipped to anyone in Illinois other than distributors or retailers. State Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel, D-Shorewood, emphasized the need for these measures, stating, “The internet has made it very easy for kids to get vapes. After hearing from local elected officials who were seeing an uptick in the usage of vapes in schools, it was clear we had to put guardrails in place to protect kids from the dangers of smoking.”