Illinois town takes aim at Tobacco and Tobacco Retailers.(Brief article)

Following Chicago's lead, Elk Grove Village in the northwest suburbs is prepared to ban smoking in restaurants, bars, banquet halls and private businesses in addition to outdoor sites like playgrounds and ball fields, reports the Elk Grove Times. It goes one step farther, however, in striking out at the sale of tobacco with hefty licensing fees. About 75 people attended the Feb. 27 Committee of the Whole meeting where the ban and fees were first discussed.

The present annual fee to sell tobacco is $100. As of June 1, the fee is proposed to soar to $1,000 to $5,000, depe