Starting next month, the use of vapes and other e-cigarette products will be prohibited in public places in Illinois.
In 2007, the Smoke-Free Illinois Act was implemented to ban smoking of cigars and cigarettes indoors and within 15 feet of entrances. The law is now being strengthened and will take effect on Jan. 1st.
“E-cigarettes, in all of their many forms, continue to be one of the most addictive products readily available for purchase in gas stations, vape shops and online,” State Senator Julie Morrison, who sponsored the bill in the Senate, said in a release. “We have made solid progress toward de-normalizing the perception of tobacco, and I am proud that on Jan. 1, e-cigarette usage will be banned indoors.”
On the first offense, individuals caught smoking e-cigarettes in public places in the state will be fined $100.
The governor signed the bill into law in July 2019, which also raised the legal age for purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21 in Illinois.