Youth, the law and informed choices

In July 2019, the minimum age to buy tobacco in Illinois rose from 18 to 21. Earlier, Gov. Pritzker said that without raising the legal age to 21, "Many are risking a lifetime of addiction before being able to make an informed choice." There was little argument at the time, or in the meantime, with the legislature's initiative or with the governor's rationale in signing it.

However, the same concern for informed choice which guided the state in trying to reduce underage smoking appears absent in pending legislation eliminating a parent's right to be notified in advance if their daughter is having an abortion.

Illinois House Bill 1797 would repeal the Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 1995. The Act requires that a parent or guardian be notified 48 hours before a child under 18 has an abortion. There is also provision under that law for situations, such as abuse, when a young woman under 18 cannot tell her parents. In such a circumstance, she can receive permission from a judge to have an abortion.

HB1797 is poised to sail briskly through the General Assembly and onto Gov. Pritzker's desk for likely signature. If you are troubled by this bill, please ask your state representative and senator, as soon as possible, to maintain the current law requiring parental notification. Help ensure vulnerable young women make informed choices.

Chris Ellis

Palatine