A bill to place restrictions on e-cigarettes in Illinois passed both houses of the General Assembly Thursday.
Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Highwood, sponsored the bill in the House. He said the legislation follows up on the law that raised the age to buy tobacco in Illinois to 21.
"The Illinois Attorney General's Office has been working to strengthen the enforcement to protect our youth who increasingly are turning to vaping and frankly, encountering different addictions because of that," said Morgan.
The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention have noted that children and teens who use e-cigarettes "may be more likely to smoke cigarettes in the future."
Rep. Kathleen Willis, D-Northlake, said the industry would agree e-cigarettes are meant for adult use. She said the bill adds many protections.
"We all know the perils of smoking, and I think we'll see more on vaping," said Willis.
The bill, among a host of provisions, allows for stricter requirements on online electronic cigarette orders. It also limits how e-cigarette makers can market their products.
The bill passed with only seven votes against it, none of which came from Peoria or Bloomington-Normal representatives. The vote on the bill in the Senate was unanimous. It now returns to the Senate for a concurrence vote before it heads to the governor for his potential signature.
