From: WLS
Pastor Roosevelt Watkins III | Pastors United for Change, Chicago
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Chicago newspapers have written about the illegal trafficking of tobacco products. The former head investigator for the Illinois Department of Revenue said the problem of cigarette smuggling rivals illegal drug running, and it has grown in volume because the illegal sales can be just as lucrative but with lower penalties than those that come with narcotics convictions. When nearly half of all young black men in Chicago are unemployed and living in poverty, it is understandable how engaging in these petty crimes would be an attractive path to follow. Unfortunately, the growth of this illegal market will leave more people with criminal records, preventing them from getting jobs. It will also open the door for another Eric Garner situation as police will be targeting neighborhoods for illegal cigarette sales which are the same minority communities that have suffered from the police brutality and shootings that have made recent headlines.
Escalating prices also drives the market for loose cigarettes. There is no easier way for kids to start smoking than the sale of loose cigarettes on the street. I know the mayor has a genuine interest in preventing children from smoking, but these are the types of unintentional consequences that the City Council needs to fully think through before passing new taxes affecting these communities.
