Cook County Board Raises Age For Buying Tobacco To 21 In Unincorporated Areas

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Cook County commissioners voted Thursday to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products in unincorporated areas from 18 to 21.

Retailers would be required to ask customers to show ID to buy tobacco products if they appear to be under the age of 27.

The new age requirement would go into effect June 1.

The vote by the Cook County Board of Commissioners comes nearly three years after the city of Chicago raised the minimum age to buy tobacco to 21. Evanston, Aurora, Naperville, and several other municipalities also require someone to be 21 to buy tobacco products.

Park Ridge is raising the minimum age to 21 starting in February.