The Chicago suburb of Elgin, Ill. has given its initial approval to a complete ban on the use of tobacco products in city parks after a youth group led the charge for the change. The Youth Leadership Academy, which was funded by a $3,500 grant through the Illinois Department of Public Health, gave presentations to both the city council and parks advisory board earlier this year, with the council giving its unanimous approval to the ban at its meeting on Wednesday. The ban does provide some areas for adults to smoke, including the city’s three golf courses, an area of Festival Park and the Elgin Sports Complex during events that do not include children, according to the Daily Herald. The ban must still get approval following a second reading, which will likely happen at the council’s Dec. 4 meeting. Once it goes into effect, violators will be subject to fines of between $100 and $250, though a public awareness campaign will begin before the city hands out citations. Elgin is located approximately 35 miles northwest of Chicago and is home to just over 110,000 residents.
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