State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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91_SB1898

 
                                               LRB9112779STsb

 1        AN ACT concerning cigar labeling.

 2        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:

 4        Section 1. Short title. This Act  may  be  cited  as  the
 5    Cigar Labeling Act.

 6        Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
 7        "Cigar" means any roll of tobacco wrapped in leaf tobacco
 8    or  in any substance containing tobacco, but does not include
 9    any roll of tobacco wrapped in any substance  which,  because
10    of its appearance, the type of tobacco used in the filter, or
11    its  packaging  or  labeling,  is  likely to be offered to or
12    purchased by consumers as a cigarette.
13        "Manufacturer" means any person, including  any  repacker
14    or   relabeler,   who  manufactures,  fabricates,  assembles,
15    processes, or labels a finished cigar.
16        "Retail package" means a pack,  box,  carton,  pouch,  or
17    container  of  any kind in which cigars are offered for sale,
18    sold, or otherwise distributed to  consumers,  but  does  not
19    include  cellophane  wrappers, tubes, or similar wrappings in
20    which individual  cigars  are  sold,  and  does  not  include
21    shipping  cartons  or other containers not normally purchased
22    by consumers.

23        Section 10. Warning labels required.  Commencing one year
24    after the effective date of this Act,  each  manufacturer  or
25    importer of cigars shall place, or cause to be placed, labels
26    bearing  one of the following warnings on each retail package
27    of cigars packaged for sale and shipped for  distribution  in
28    Illinois:
29        WARNING:  Cigars  contain  many  of  the same carcinogens
30    found in cigarettes, and cigars are not a safe substitute for
 
                            -2-                LRB9112779STsb
 1    smoking cigarettes.
 2        WARNING: Smoking cigars regularly poses risks  of  cancer
 3    of  the  mouth,  throat,  larynx,  and  esophagus  similar to
 4    smoking cigarettes.
 5        WARNING:  Smoking  cigars  causes  lung   cancer,   heart
 6    disease, and emphysema, and may complicate pregnancy.

 7        Section  15.  Introduction of labels. Commencing one year
 8    after the effective date of  this  Act,  retail  packages  of
 9    cigars  bearing the labels required under Section 10 shall be
10    introduced in the distribution chain by the  manufacturer  or
11    importer  so  that  approximately  equal  numbers  of  retail
12    packages of each brand of cigars will bear each of the labels
13    required  by  Section 10 during each 12-month period, subject
14    to any practical limitations of the printing  equipment  used
15    by the manufacturer or importer for other similar conditions.

16        Section  20. Display of labels. The labels required under
17    Section 10 shall appear on  the  outside  surface  of  retail
18    packages  in  which  cigars  are  sold  or  on the cellophane
19    overwrap of the packages.  The labels shall be displayed in a
20    clear and reasonable manner so that all letters in the  label
21    appear  in  a  conspicuous  and  legible  type in contrast by
22    typography, layout, or color with all other printed  material
23    on  the  package.  Display  boxes  or containers used to sell
24    individual cigars shall bear a  warning  label  so  that  the
25    warning  can  be  read  by retail customers removing products
26    from that box or container under ordinary conditions.  Labels
27    required   under   Section  10  may  be  preprinted,  at  the
28    discretion of the  manufacturer  or  importer,  if  they  are
29    firmly  attached to the retail package or cellophane overwrap
30    in such a way that the surface  of  the  label  is  destroyed
31    before the label can be removed from the package or overwrap.
 
                            -3-                LRB9112779STsb
 1        Section 25. Penalty.
 2        (a)  Any  person  who  violates  this Act is liable for a
 3    civil penalty not to exceed $2,500 per day for each violation
 4    in addition to any other penalty established by law. A  civil
 5    penalty  may  be  assessed  and  recovered  in a civil action
 6    brought in any court of competent jurisdiction.
 7        (b) Actions under this Section  may  be  brought  by  the
 8    Attorney  General  on  behalf  of  the people of the State of
 9    Illinois or by any State's Attorney.

10        Section 30. Preemption. To the extent this Act  conflicts
11    with  any  federal  law  or  regulation  that  requires cigar
12    manufacturers and importers  to  provide  warning  labels  on
13    cigars, those federal provisions shall control.

14        Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
15    becoming law.

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