The Lake County Sheriff’s Department has started a new enforcement program designed to reduce minors’ access to tobacco and tobacco products.
The program’s key elements, said Sheriff Gary Del Re, are education and enforcement.
Because Illinois law prohibits the sale of tobacco to minors by employees of commercial establishments where such products are sold, a primary focus will be “to make [employees] aware of their responsibilities under the law,” Del Re said.
“It is my hope that, once educated about minimum-age tobacco laws, tobacco retailers act to give positive support to this program voluntarily through their acknowledgement of the importance of verifying the age of their customers,” Del Re said.
The program also will focus on educating parents and their children about the health hazards posed by long-term tobacco use, according to Lt. Fred Heidecke of the sheriff’s office.
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Illinois law prohibits minors from buying or selling tobacco or tobacco products.
The second element of the program will emphasize enforcement, Heidecke said. With the assistance of area minors, the sheriff’s office will monitor the compliance of local businesses, he said.
Under the supervision of sheriff’s detectives, the minors will try to buy tobacco and tobacco products from commercial establishments, particularly those that sell tobacco over the counter or from vending machines, Heidecke said.
In September, the Illinois Liquor Commission awarded the sheriff’s office a grant of $24,000 to fund the program, Heidecke said.
Anyone interested in more information about the program should contact Deputy Chief Bob Randall at 847-360-5850 or via e-mail at [email protected].