Gurnee village board to consider raising the age to buy tobacco to 21

The Gurnee village board will consider raising the age to purchase tobacco products and electronic cigarettes to 21 at its meeting Monday.

If the measure is approved, the village will join Deerfield, Highland Park, Lincolnshire, Vernon Hills, Mundelein and Buffalo Grove in raising the age.

The plan, promoted by the Lake County Health Department, is designed to prevent young people from smoking in the interest of public health.

Jack Linehan, assistant to the village administrator, said the health department reached out to Gurnee some time ago about adopting an ordinance.

Linehan said the village staff's priority is making sure businesses are aware of the change if the board decides to approve the ordinance. He said the village has gotten questions from businesses already and is preparing a letter and other materials to send to them about the change if it happens.

If the ordinance is approved, it will go into effect immediately, but Police Chief Kevin Woodside said the department wouldn't enforce the new age rule for 30 days.

"We don't want anyone to be surprised," Woodside said. "We want this to have a gradual on-ramp."

Woodside said there are 24 stores in the village that sell tobacco products. He said his department performs regular compliance checks in which it sends a teenager to try to buy tobacco.

Woodside said during the grace period police might continue compliance checks to make sure businesses aren't selling to anyone younger than 18.

Woodside said it is important to stress the proposed ordinance deals with the sale of tobacco products and not the possession of them.

"It wouldn't be fair to the 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds if they couldn't possess cigarettes in Gurnee that they legally purchased elsewhere," Woodside said.