Illinois Senate advances ban on flavored Cigarettes
SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Senate on Thursday moved to take the flavor out of flavored Cigarettes, saying the mint, fruit and candy-flavored smokes are clearly designed to appeal to kids.
SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Senate on Thursday moved to take the flavor out of flavored Cigarettes, saying the mint, fruit and candy-flavored smokes are clearly designed to appeal to kids. The Senate voted 39-12 to ban the sale in Illinois of any cigarette that contains a component that “causes such cigarette or its smoke to have a characterizing flavor.” The flavor of tobacco and menthol would still be allowed, but other popular flavors including chocolate, vanilla, honey, nuts, cocoa and spice would be banned. The measure now moves to the House. Sen. Jacqueline Collins, D-Chicago, said the flavored Cigarettes are clearly intended to “increase the acceptability of a toxic product” for teenagers, potentially luring kids to start smoking who might otherwise not have. The bill ran into opposition from some Republican senators who argued that the measure was an example of government overstepping its bounds. “How far do we take these things before we have state government or federal government running everything in our lives?” asked Senate minority leader Frank Watson, R-Greenville. The bill will now move to the Illinois House. The measure is SB2825.