Emanuel salvages plan to raise smoking age and tax tobacco products

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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