The age to purchase tobacco products in the Chicago suburb of Vernon Hills, Ill. will be going from 18 to 21-years-old today, as last month the village’s board unanimously approved the proposal.

The increase also applies to the age to purchase e-cigarettes and alternative nicotine products.

The road from proposal to passage was a fairly quick one, as it was brought to the board in mid-June and then approved at the July 5 meeting. Vernon Hills joins Chicago, Highland Park, Naperville, Evanston, and Oak Park in passing age increases in the area.

Vernon Hills is a village of 25,000, located approximately 37 miles northwest of Chicago.

Avatar photo

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 MLB.com, 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.