Tag: Illinois

Durbin Blames Police for Illegal Flavored Vape Surge

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Illinois Senator Dick Durbin strongly condemned top health and law enforcement officials for their inadequate efforts in combating the surge of illegal disposable e-cigarettes among young people in the U.S.
Industry analysts estimate disposable vapes make up 30 percent to 40 percent of the roughly $7 billion vaping market. The two best-selling disposables—Breeze and Elf Bar—generated more than $500 million in sales last year, according to Nielsen retail sales data analyzed by Goldman Sachs, according to media reports.
Both brands have been sanctioned by FDA regulators but remain widely available, in some cases with new names, logos, and flavors. More than half of the 2.8 million U.S. teens who vaped last year said they used Elf Bar.
Overall, teen vaping has fallen 60 percent since its all-time high in 2019, following the COVID-19 pandemic and new age restrictions and flavor bans on e-cigarettes and other tobacco products.
“Nearly all e-cigarettes are sold in violation of federal law, yet 2 million kids report vaping,” Durbin tweeted.
Using its own authorities, the FDA has sent hundreds of warning letters to vape shops and e-cigarette manufacturers in recent years. But the letters have done little to dissuade companies from flouting FDA rules and introducing new vapes.
September 3, 2024
Illinois Bans ‘Highlighter’ Looking Vaping Devices

Credit: High Light Vape
Illinois lawmakers have decisively passed a law that forbids vaping companies from targeting teens with their advertising, particularly by promoting electronic cigarettes that resemble school supplies such as highlighters, markers, or erasers.
The changes come at a time when lawmakers from both sides of the aisle in Springfield have been bombarded with complaints about students bringing vapes into schools that could easily be mistaken for such common items, according to media.
Seilback argues that none of the deception should come as a surprise.
“The industry is always needing to replace those that quit using their products,” he adds. “They’re always looking for the next generation. They’re going to keep saying what they say and we need to make sure that our elected officials stand with the public health community.”
The new law will be enforced by the Illinois Department of Revenue, the Attorney General’s office, and local law enforcement. At the same time, Senate Bill 3098, which will ban electronic cigarette companies from allowing anyone under 21 to order vaping products online or by mail, is also slated to soon take effect.
Illinois Senate Bill 3098, signed into law Aug. 9, prohibits e-cigarettes purchased by mail, online or through other remote sale methods from being shipped to anyone in the state other than a distributor or retailer. Senate Bill 3098 goes into effect Jan. 1, 2025.
August 20, 2024
Illinois Senate Passes 2 Vape Laws, Moves to House
Credit: High Light Vape
The Illinois state Senate passed two bills on Tuesday aimed at curbing teen vaping.
The first bill bans companies from selling vaping devices that resemble everyday household items. The second bill prohibits people from shipping vaping products in Illinois, except to licensed retailers and distributors. Illinois state senators Julie Morrison and Meg Loughran Cappel sponsored the bills.
It’s already illegal to sell e-cigarettes to people under 21 in Illinois. Teens can get around the ban, however, by having them shipped to their home, according to media reports.
Morrison said her bill comes as school officials report kids using vaping devices that look like schools supplies such as highlighters.
“Teachers, they’ve complained that they have found these kind of products in their schools, their students have them. They’re designed to look like a school supply. And I think it’s not even limited to school supplies, stuffed animals, SpongeBob,” Morrison said.
Both bills now head to the state House of Representatives.
April 11, 2024
Illinois Bills Would Ban Online Sales, Some Vapes
Credit: Karen Roach
Illinois lawmakers are considering two bills aimed at ending the marketing of concealable-style vapes and online sales.
One bill would ban e-cigarettes designed to look like objects commonly carried by youth, such as highlighters and markers, and therefore not be spotted by adults, according to media reports.
A second bill would prohibit e-cigarettes from being purchased remotely by anyone other than a distributor or seller.
Both bills passed out of the Senate executive committee earlier this month and await a vote by the full chamber.
March 21, 2024
Illinois Public Vaping Ban Begins at Start of January

Credit: Karen Roach
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.
December 19, 2023
Illinois Indoor Vape Ban Heads to Governor’s Desk

Credit: Karen Roach
In the U.S. state of Illinois, a statewide ban on vaping inside public buildings is just a signature away from becoming law.
Both the Illinois House and Senate passed a bill that would make Illinois the 18th state in the country to outlaw indoor vaping, according to CBS News.
The bill was sponsored by state Sen. Julie Morrison. It expands the Smoke-Free Illinois Act, which forbade smoking in public buildings and within 15 feet of entrances.
The bill now heads to Governor JB Pritzker’s office to be signed into law.
Illinois also passed a law to raise the age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21 in 2019, and limited the advertising of e-cigarette products in 2022.
May 11, 2023
Illinois Bill Would Ban Flavored Vapes, Including THC
The flavor ban bill introduced in Illinois would also ban flavored THC vaping devices. Senate Bill 3854, introduced in January, is currently in committee. Any flavored flavored vaping product, including heat-not-burn systems and tobacco chew, would be banned.
Credit: Kurgu 128
The bill provides “that (1) “tobacco product” includes products containing tetrahydrocannabinol and products containing a mixture of tetrahydrocannabinol and nicotine, and (2) “tobacco retailer” includes dispensing organizations and dispensing organization agents, as those terms are defined in the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. Creates a presumption that a tobacco product, related tobacco product, alternative nicotine product, or solution or substance intended for use with electronic cigarettes is a banned product, solution, or substance intended for use with electronic cigarettes if it has or produces a characterizing flavor.”
A consumer advocacy group says the measure could do more harm than good. Elizabeth Hicks, U.S. Affairs analyst with the Consumer Choice Center, said enacting a flavor ban for vaping products will push adult consumers to switch back to smoking combustible tobacco at a time when smoking cigarettes has been trending down in Illinois, according to KPVI.
“About 12% of adults in 2020 reported smoking, however, if this bill passes, we can certainly expect that number to increase,” Hicks said. “This ultimately will lead to increases in smoking-related healthcare costs, which are already costing Illinois taxpayers over $1.9 billion annually,” Hicks said.
The state of Illinois passed two laws last year aimed at making it harder for minors to access vaping products. The first law (Senate Bill 512) prohibits the use of cartoon characters, video game characters, and popular children’s media from advertisements for e-cigarettes. It also makes it harder to buy vaping products online. Buyers will now have to use a credit card or check in the buyer’s name.
The second law (Senate Bill 555) amends the Substance Use Disorder Act to include vape shops. Adding vape shops allows the Illinois Department of Human Services to do compliance checks on the sale of e-cigarettes according to the minimum purchasing age of 21.
March 8, 2022
Illinois Passes 2 Laws to Prevent Youth Access
The state of Illinois passed two new laws this week aimed at making it harder for minors to access vaping products. The first law (Senate Bill 512) prohibits the use of cartoon characters, video game characters, and popular children’s media from advertisements for e-cigarettes. It also makes it harder to buy vaping products online. Buyers will now have to use a credit card or check in the buyer’s name.
Credit: Sharafmaksumov
The second law (Senate Bill 555) amends the Substance Use Disorder Act to include vape shops. Adding vape shops allows the Illinois Department of Human Services to do compliance checks on the sale of e-cigarettes according to the minimum purchasing age of 21, according to B100. The legislation also allows underage individuals to test retailer’s compliance under the supervision of law enforcement as a part of a compliance check without violating tobacco laws.
You must be 21 in Illinois to buy e-cigarettes. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the two bills into law on Tuesday. Both Senate Bills 512 and 555 will go into effect on January 1, 2022.
“This legislation will make our communities healthier places to live, and most importantly, will save lives. I’m proud that Illinois is taking yet another step toward protecting the health and safety of our young residents from tobacco and e-cigarettes and I want to thank Attorney General Raoul, our partners in the General Assembly, as well as the advocates and organizations for their work to make these laws possible,” Pritzker said in a statement.
August 26, 2021