An ordinance imposing some of the strictest fines in the Chicago area on merchants who sell tobacco to minors in unincorporated Cook County was unanimously approved by a Cook County Board committee Wednesday.
The ordinance originally proposed by Board President John Stroger will now be considered by the full County Board at its Nov. 6 meeting.
Before approving the ordinance Wednesday, the committee decided to increase some of the fines in Stroger’s ordinance to send an even stronger message to merchants caught selling tobacco to minors.
Merchants in unincorporated areas of Cook County would face minimum fines of $500 for a first offense, and $1,000 for second and third offenses within a year’s time. For a second offense, merchants would have their tobacco license suspended for 30 days and three-time offenders would face mandatory, one-year license revocations.
Andrea Brands, Stroger’s press secretary, said the ordinance could become a model for other communities that have yet to get tough on tobacco sales to minors.
The American Lung Association supports the ordinance, but the Illinois Retail Merchants Association opposes it, arguing that Chicago already has an ordinance in place and a new law will only confuse merchants.