Lake Zurich, Ill. Approves Tobacco Purchase Age Increase

The list of Chicago-area cities approving tobacco purchasing age increases continues to grow, as on Tuesday the suburb of Lake Zurich approved its version of the ordinance, which will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2019.

As part of the increase, not only will it be illegal for someone under 21 years of age to purchase tobacco products or nicotine alternatives such as e-cigarettes, but it will also be illegal for those individuals to possess them. The current age for both the purchase and possession of tobacco products is 18-years-old in the village.

The increase was unanimously approved by the six members of the village’s Board of Trustees at its meeting on Dec. 3. The village joins Chicago, unincorporated Lake County, Highland Park, Deerfield and Vernon Hills, among other cities in the area who have passed similar increases, with nearly 30 doing so across Illinois. A statewide increase was approved earlier this year but vetoed by Gov. Bruce Rauner, with the Illinois House of Representatives unable to garner enough votes to override the veto.

Lake Zurich is located 40 miles northwest of Chicago and is home to approximately 20,000 residents.

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.