http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/state/IL.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.dekalb-chronicle.com/articles/2008/06/24/news/local/news10.txt http://tobacco.org/news/268237.html Six employees at Sycamore businesses were ticketed in the last 10 days for selling tobacco products to minors. Between June 13 and 19, the Sycamore Police Department sent three minors to all 18 businesses licensed to sell tobacco in the city, Sycamore Police Lt. Darrell Johnson said Monday. The juveniles, all under age 18, went into the stores and offered their own valid identification when asked, Johnson said. DeKalb Daily Chronicle bfeldheim@daily-chronicle.com (BENJI FELDHEIM) Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-zorn_01jul01,0,1308604.column http://tobacco.org/news/267919.html Data released last week by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that the percentage of teens who smoke has stopped dropping. It was 36 percent in 1997, then fell to 22 percent in 2003, where it has more or less remained. So maybe it's time to throw the book at them. The ticket book, I mean. . . . This isn't a new idea. PUP laws--so named because they ban the purchase, use and possession of tobacco by minors--have been around for decades. Chicago's dates to 1992 and calls for a $25 fine for a first offense. But many PUPs don't have a bark, much less a bite. . . . "Treating cigarettes like we do alcohol would go a long way" toward discouraging teen smoking, Banzhaf said. And if you stop a teen from smoking, he said, the odds are overwhelming that he'll never be a smoker. Is that an important enough goal that we ought to sic butt cops on kids peacefully puffing away in parks, on street corners or outside shopping malls? Sure. Chicago Tribune ericzorn@gmail.com (Eric Zorn * Change of Subject) Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-downstate-smoking-sidebarjun30,0,1296295.story http://tobacco.org/news/267835.html Across the Chicago area, bans on indoor smoking have had dramatic impacts. Whether through community laws in effect before the state ban, or through the Illinois law, the region has witnessed a nearly complete end to puffing inside restaurants, bars and workplaces. Officials and business owners say they have seen widespread compliance. And though violations still pop up, authorities said they are quick to pounce. Chicago Tribune Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-downstate-smokingjun30,0,7085345,full.story http://tobacco.org/news/267834.html Enforcement could be a long time coming. Light up indoors in Chicago and the suburbs and get caught, and it's virtually certain the law will try to snuff it out. But in Downstate Illinois, where state smoking rates are the highest and opposition to the smoking ban is most vociferous, some communities are refusing to halt indoor smoking or levy fines. Six months after the state's blanket ban on smoking in indoor public places took effect, Downstate smokers can easily be found either breaking the law or craftily skirting it except in urban areas such as Springfield, Bloomington and Champaign. In and around Taylorville, a cozy community just 27 miles south of the Capitol building where the law was passed, more than half of the county's 17 major drinking establishments are filled with smokers, county officials said. Complaints pile into the Christian County Health Department, where officials fume they can do nothing more than issue warning letters and threats of fines to violators. Chicago Tribune Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.jg-tc.com/articles/2008/06/26/news/doc48644fbb386a1902270785.txt http://tobacco.org/news/267737.html Anti-smoking advocates pointed to a statewide survey Thursday to declare Illinois' six-month-old ban on public smoking a success. Nearly three-quarters of the more than 600 registered voters surveyed said they think the state's ban on smoking has been beneficial. The percentage increased by nearly 10 percent since the same company conducted a similar poll a year ago, when the issue was debated statewide. On behalf of the American Lung Association of Illinois, American Cancer Society-Illinois and the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago, the Washington D.C.-based firm of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research polled 606 Illinoisans on the smoking ban from May 28 to June 1. Journal Gazette and Times-Courier online@jg-tc.com (KARTIKAY MEHROTRA, JG/T-C Springfield Bureau) Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.nwitimes.com/articles/2008/06/27//news/illiana/doc5fd9eb9b45260f79862574750001b91b.txt http://tobacco.org/news/267734.html Anti-smoking advocates pointed to a statewide survey Thursday to declare Illinois' six-month-old ban on public smoking a success. Nearly three-quarters of the more than 600 registered voters surveyed said they think the state's ban on smoking has been beneficial. The percentage has increased by nearly 10 percent since a year ago, when the same company conducted a similar poll as the issue was being debated statewide. Residents were surveyed by a private international polling agency on behalf of the American Lung Association of Illinois, American Cancer Society - Illinois and the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago. "Clearly, the public understands that cigarette smoke in the workplace is a serious health hazard," The Times of Northwest Indiana Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/06-26-2008/0004839682&EDATE= http://tobacco.org/news/267700.html Nearly six months after implementation of the state's smoke-free workplace law, a poll released today finds that Illinois voters overwhelmingly support the law making public places smoke-free by prohibiting smoking inside all workplaces, including restaurants, bars, and casinos. The poll also finds that voters would reject attempts to exempt casinos from the new law. "The smoke-free law is working exactly as intended to protect the people of Illinois from the health harms of secondhand smoke and preserve their right to breathe clean air. Clearly, Illinois voters appreciate the new law," said Clement Rose, MD, President, American Cancer Society, Illinois Division. The poll found that nearly three out of four (73 percent) Illinois voters support the smoke-free workplace law, with 62 percent expressing strong support. Just 25 percent of voters oppose the law. The smoke-free law is even more popular now than when passed a year ago by the state legislature - with the margin of support growing by 10 percentage points from a similar poll conducted a year ago. At the same time last year, voters favored the legislation 68 to 30 percent. Support for the new law comes from a broad coalition of voters, including Democrats and Republicans as well as voters in every region of the state. By a 2 to 1 margin, voters also feel that casinos should continue to be included under the smoke-free law. PR Newswire Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/addison/news/x415943164/Health-departments-Chicago-Bandits-partner-to-strike-out-tobacco-at-softball-game http://tobacco.org/news/267349.html The DuPage County Health Department is collaborating with the Kane County Health Department and the Chicago Bandits professional women's softball team to Strike Out Tobacco. The two-day event will take place at 7:05 p.m. Saturday, June 28, and 3:05 p.m. Sunday, June 29, at Judson University in Elgin, home of the Chicago Bandits. There will be games, prizes and a random drawing. The intent of Strike Out Tobacco is to inform the fans about the harmful side effects of tobacco. Addison Press join-weekly-news@list.chicagosuburbannews.com (staff reports) Fri, 20 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi-cigarette-butts-0618-nujun18,0,4785581.story http://tobacco.org/news/267097.html One thing is for certain: Smith never waited longer than a quick five-count before finding another butt, or a fistful. Filters were scattered everywhere, from water's edge to inches from new "NO SMOKING" signs adorning the north face of lifeguard stands. At the beach house--where similar signs were curiously, conspicuously absent--Smith dumped the contents onto a table. Though damp and in many cases shriveled with age, the butts reeked like an ashtray inhaled at close range. Smith recoiled in disgust. . . . Largely spurred by environmentalists such as Smith who've spent years ridding the sands of countless cigarette butts, the city will issue $500 fines this summer to anyone caught puffing or tossing a cigarette scrap within 15 feet of a beach. It's not so much about filling Chicago's coffers, or squelching secondhand smoke, as to address a larger problem affecting the Chicago area--as well as waterways and coastal regions worldwide. Experts say cigarette butts rank at the very top of litter problems--not just for their ubiquity, but for their toxicity and non-biodegradable nature. The things stick around in sewers and soil for years, even decades. Sanitation workers can't clean them up fast enough, and volunteer cleanup crews can only pick up so many, every so often. "It's about cleanliness," said Chicago Park District superintendent Tim Mitchell. . . . it contains a host of potent chemicals. Among them: carcinogens such as benzopyrene and formaldehyde; poisons such as arsenic, lead, acetone, toluene, cadmium, nicotine and benzene; and hazardous chemicals such as butane and ammonia. If only the dangers stopped there. Butts still containing traces of lit tobacco pose a serious fire hazard; extinguished ones are a threat to marine life and a temptation to toddlers on playgrounds, who tend to put most anything in their mouths. Chicago Tribune lcarlozo@tribune.com (Louis R. Carlozo * TRIBUNE REPORTER) Wed, 18 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.rrstar.com/news/x19917440/South-Beloit-officials-authorize-police-to-collect-smoking-violation-fines http://tobacco.org/news/267082.html A month after passing a new law giving the city more authority to enforce a smoking ban, commissioners have tweaked the measure to include a provision for collecting fines. City leaders in May approved an ordinance that puts the South Beloit Police Department in charge of investigating complaints about smoking in public places within city limits and issuing citations for violations. The change stems from a recent investigation by the Winnebago County Health Department that, after receiving anonymous complaints, ticketed three South Beloit taverns for violating the Smoke-Free Illinois Act. Rockford Register-Star smrobert@rrstar.com (Sarah Roberts) Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.nwherald.com/articles/2008/06/16/news/local/doc4855d8680f64c644330700.txt http://tobacco.org/news/267021.html But when an apartment building goes up in flames as a result of careless smoking, as residents witnessed earlier this month at the Cunat-owned Northfield Court Apartments in Harvard, the question of what tenants should be allowed to do in their own homes becomes less clear-cut. "With things like pets and smoking, and even the way that people use their kitchens, we attempt to allow people to operate as if it was their own home, and we get involved when it begins to have an impact on their neighbors," Zock said. "When an event like [the June 3 fire] happens, there's obviously a massive impact. ... It definitely gives us cause to do research." The Northfield Court apartment fire was the second major apartment fire in McHenry County since 2007 that was caused by a cigarette. On May 29, 2007, more than 40 people lost their homes . . . And just last month, an elderly woman was killed . . . But some landlords are taking the initiative and making their own properties smoke-free. Jenna Maicke, who handles operations and tenant complaints for Woodstock-based property management company Advantage Plus Inc., said making most of the company's rental units smoke-free had not hurt business. Northwest Herald jwiant@nwherald.com (JENN WIANT) Mon, 16 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/989177,6_1_NA05_BAN_S1.article http://tobacco.org/news/266577.html Several customers of Will County bars who were cited for violating a smoking ban have lost their effort to have the law declared unconstitutional. Their attorney, Dan O'Day, argued the law was too broad. But Will County Circuit Judge Marzell Richardson upheld the constitutionality of the Smoke-Free Illinois Act. O'Day also argued the traffic ticket police used to issue the citations against his clients were not appropriate. He also contended the citations should be heard in front of an administrative agency instead of in a criminal hearing. AP Sun, 08 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.whig.com/story/smoking-ban-law-enforcement-SUN-6-8 http://tobacco.org/news/266571.html Law enforcement officials in Quincy and Adams County have not been as overwhelmed as they thought they might be when the state's smoking ban went into effect Jan. 1. The Adams County Health Department so far has sent 14 letters to businesses because of complaints about smoking. The Quincy Police Department has received 13 complaints, but the Adams County Sheriff's Department has had none and the state's attorney's office has brought no charges. "It appears from the lack of any tickets reaching this office that the warnings or counseling have been effective in addressing the problem," State's Attorney Jon Barnard said. Quincy Herald-Whig jbusen@whig.com (JAMIE BUSEN Herald-Whig Staff Writer) Sat, 07 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.whig.com/story/smoking-ban-main-SUN-6-8 http://tobacco.org/news/266570.html Ed Workman has a question for the nonsmokers who promised to frequent Quincy bars more often after the state smoking ban went into effect Jan. 1. "Where are you?" he asked. Workman, co-owner of Uncle Bob's Bar at 1301 N. 12th and Jed's Brew House at 18th and Chestnut, said alcohol sales were down about 20 percent at both bars during the first quarter of this year, compared to the same period in 2007, and continue to lag. Workman believes the smoking ban is having an adverse effect on his businesses, but other restaurant and bar owners believe the cold winter and poor economy were just as much to blame. Consumers like Kelly Klinner believe the ban, now in its sixth month, is having the desired effect. She says she is able to dine with her husband Jason and their 5-year-old daughter in places they would not have frequented in the past. Quincy Herald-Whig jbusen@whig.com (JAMIE BUSEN Herald-Whig Staff Writer) Sat, 07 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.pjstar.com/news/x396300633/Judge-upholds-smoking-ban http://tobacco.org/news/266525.html The state's six-month-old ban on indoor smoking in public places survived its first major court challenge Tuesday when a Will County judge denied a motion attacking the ban's constitutionality. Peoria attorney Dan O'Day argued in the motion that the Smoke-Free Illinois Act contradicted a 1914 Illinois Supreme Court decision that barred a municipality from prohibiting smoking and tobacco possession. That decision has never been overturned. But Will County Associate Judge Marzell Richardson, without elaborating on his reasons for doing so, found that the state statute was constitutional and declined to dismiss charges against five people accused of smoking in two Joliet bars earlier this year. Peoria Journal-Star mbuedel@pjstar.com (MATT BUEDEL Journal Star) Tue, 03 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT