SUBSTITUTE ORDINANCE
WHEREAS, The City of Chicago is a home rule unit of government pursuant to Article VII, Section 6(a) ofthe Illinois Constitution; and
WHEREAS, Pursuant to its home rule authority, the City of Chicago may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs, including promoting the health, safety, and welfare of its citizens; and
WHEREAS, Cigarette smoking has been linked to various cancers and lung diseases; and
WHEREAS, While many struggle with their nicotine and tobacco addiction, those seeking to quit their "habit" have sought several modes of treatment: medicine from their doctors, nicotine patches, and, in recent years, e-cigarettes; and
WHEREAS, E-cigarettes, which first entered the United States market in 2007, are electronic inhalers meant to simulate cigarette smoking. E-cigarettes use a heating element that vaporizes a liquid solution. Some e-cigarettes release nicotine, while some merely release flavored vapor. They are designed to mimic traditional smoking implements in their use and appearance; and
WHEREAS, Though e-cigarettes have been advertised as a "safe" alternative to smoking, they are not currently regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), leaving states and cities to adopt their own regulations; and
WHEREAS, Several states, including Illinois, have adopted legislation banning the sale of e-cigarettes to minors; and
WHEREAS, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in a report released on September 5, 2013, stated that ten percent of high school students surveyed reported using e-cigarettes in 2012, up from 4.7 percent in 2011; and
WHEREAS, In the same study, the CDC reported that these same minors also admitted to smoking conventional cigarettes at the same time; and
WHEREAS, CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., has stated that the "increased use of e-cigarettes by teens is deeply troubling. Nicotine is a highly addictive drug. Many teens who start with...
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