Emanuel salvages plan to raise smoking age and tax tobacco products
Posted February 09, 2016 10:00 pm
Two days after an embarrassing defeat, Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday salvaged his plan to raise Chicago's smoking age from 18 to 21, slap a $6 million tax on cigars, roll-your-own tobacco and smokeless tobacco, and ban coupons and discounts.
It happened after the mayor agreed to double the fine for the sale of loose cigarettes - to $5,000 for the first offense and $10,000 for repeat offenses - and use some of the money generated by the new tobacco taxes to fund smoking cessation programs in addition to programs for incoming high school freshmen and at-risk eighth graders.
For the first time, black market cigarette sellers also would face the possibility of up to six months in jail.
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