Samantha Malone
Tobacco sales in Elk Grove Village may be going up in smoke soon as the suburb considers a proposed ban on the sale of tobacco products in their community.
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Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson put forth the proposed village ordinance which, if passed, would ban the sale of tobacco altogether and does so while outlining the health risks associated with these products, according to NBC Chicago.
Prohibiting even the sale of e-cigarettes, Johnson is pushing hard for the ordinance, but some of his constituents do not see eye to eye with his plan. Tony Tauer, a Chicagoan who works in Elk Grove Village, said he disagrees with the idea of taking tobacco away from citizens.
“Any time government tries to tell people how to live their lives, it never ends well,” Tauer told the Chicago Daily Herald.
While other municipalities have already raised the legal age of purchase from 18 to 21, citizens of Elk Grove Village are worried about the economic impact the ban could have on businesses in the community. Smokers from the community have expressed a displeasure and told NBC they will simply be giving their money somewhere else.
Related: Cook County Commissioner wants to pass a recreational marijuana law
“Alcohol is deadly as well,” Joe Dible, a non-smoking resident told NBC. “There’s a lot of things that are harmful to us. It comes down to free choice. If people want to buy it then they should be able to buy it.”
