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Pritzker To Decide If 'Tobacco 21' Becomes Law

The Illinois Senate Thursday approved raising the legal smoking age from 18 to 21. All eyes now turn to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who has yet to say where he stands on the idea.
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The Illinois Senate Thursday approved raising the legal smoking age from 18 to 21. All eyes now turn to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who has yet to say where he stands on the idea.

The Illinois Senate Thursday approved raising the legal smoking age from 18 to 21. All eyes now turn to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who has yet to say where he stands on the idea. 

Listen to the story.

Some lawmakers say they’re confident Pritzker will sign the plan into law, which would prohibit the sale of tobacco products to those under 21 and penalize businesses that violate it. But—the democratic governor has stayed mostly silent on the issue. 

In an unrelated press conference, Pritzker said those who smoke should pay higher taxes on cigarettes and start paying a tax on vaping products. He talked about his children and smoking.

"As the parent of teenagers, I don’t want my kids to take up cigarette smoking, I don’t want them to take up vaping, but people who choose to do it can help subsidize, for example, the healthcare of others in the state”.

Pritzker’s office will only say he will review the measure once he receives it—not answering several specific questions about the proposal. Lawmakers previously passed the so-called Tobacco 21 legislation last year, but then-Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed it. 

Earlier in the week, House legislators voted in favor of the proposal. Still, similar concerns came from both chambers, like the portion of the plan that would remove penalties for underage kids caught in possession. 

Republican state Sen. Dale Righter, from Mattoon, said he wanted to hold off on a vote until that specific issue could be resolved. 

“The 16-year-old boy who’s chewing tobacco, who is greatly increasing his risk of getting mouth and throat cancer--now when the law enforcement officer sees that individual, they do nothing, which means mom and dad back home know nothing.” 

But those who support raising the legal smoking age from 18 to 21 say decriminalizing youth in possession is the right approach as it places blame on businesses who illegally sell to minors. 

State Sen. Toi Hutchinson, a Democrat from Olympia Fields, said the measure would help get young people away from the criminal justice system. “We now know that the people who are addicted need help, not prison."

Hutchinson said underage smoking needs to be treated as a public health issue. 

If signed into law, Illinois would become the eighth state to raise the age to 21.

Copyright 2019 NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS

Daisy reports on various assignments for NPR Illinois. She graduated from the Public Affairs Reporting master’s degree program at the University of Illinois Springfield, where she spent time covering the legislative session for NPR Illinois' Illinois Issues. Daisy interned then researched for the Chicago Reporter. She obtained an associate degree in French language from Harry S Truman College and a bachelor's degree in communications from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Before coming to Springfield, Daisy worked in communication roles for several Chicago non-profits. Daisy is from Chicago where she attended Lane Tech High School.
Daisy Contreras
Daisy reports on statehouse issues for our Illinois Issues project. She's currently a Public Affairs Reporting graduate program student at the University of Illinois Springfield. She graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology with an associates degrees from Truman College. Daisy is from Chicago where she attended Lane Tech High School.