Tobacco

McHenry County Tobacco Coalition

Who We Are

We are a collective of community members, advocates, leaders, and business owners who care about tobacco use in our County. We strive to help our residents and visitors live healthier lives by preventing exposure to secondhand smoke and helping smokers quit when they are ready.

What We Do

As a subcommittee of the McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition, the McHenry County Tobacco Coalition is working to complete the following objectives and initiatives to help our community move closer to being smoke-free:

Boost awareness of the Smoke-Free Illinois Act and its requirements
Decrease rates of smoking and vaping in McHenry County
Provide anti-vaping education to youth
Increase the amount of smoke-free outdoor spaces

Interested in joining the coalition?

Helping You Quit

Click on each link below to access, download, and print the informational PDF pages.

If you do not have access to a printer, but would like physical copies of these informational sheets, please fill out the Quit Kit Order Form below and mark "Printed informational materials".

Free Quit Apps

Local Quit Smoking Support Groups

Smoking and Eye Care

Quitting Timeline - See the Results!

A Report of the Surgeon General: Adult Smoking Cessation - The Use of E-Cigarettes (2020)

American Lung Association: The Impact of E-Cigarettes on the Lung (Español)

What Is NRT? - Nicotine Replacement Therapy

Your Smoke-Free Month Calendar

Contact the Illinois Tobacco Quitline (ITQ)

866-QUIT-NOW (7848-669)
www.quityes.org

Online Resources

Order a Tobacco Quit Kit from MCDH

MCDH Tobacco Quit Kits are free and available by mail order or pick-up at Health Department locations. No appointment necessary for in-person pick-ups.

For mail orders: After completion of the order form below, one Quit Kit will be mailed to the address listed on the order form. Please allow 5-7 business days for your Quit Kit to be processed and arrive.

Your Quit Kit will contain:

1 Letter of Congratulations
2 Illinois Tobacco Quitline contact cards
1 MCDH Tobacco Health Educator contact card
1 'Stress Star' foam stress ball with motivational saying
1 'Your Smoke-Free Month' Calendar tool
1 NRT (Nicotine Replacement Therapy) info card
1 'Health Benefits of quitting smoking over time' info sheet
MCDH Tobacco-Free Communities Sticker

Optional: Printed versions of the above informational materials
Optional: American Lung Association: Freedom from Smoking Workbook (available in English y Español)

Request a Tobacco Quit Kit

Smoke-Free Illinois

The Smoke-Free Illinois Act

As of January 1, 2008, the Smoke-Free Illinois Act requires that public places and places of employment must be completely smoke-free inside and within 15 feet of entrances, exits, windows that open, and ventilation intakes.

Effective January 1, 2024, Public Act 103-0272 will impose the same restrictions on vaping indoors and within 15 feet of public places and places of employment.

You can find the full text of the Smoke-Free Illinois Act and Public Act 103-0272 here.

More Information and SFIA Complaints

For more information on Smoke-Free Illinois and the access the Complaint Form for violations of the Smoke-Free Illinois Act, please visit www.smoke-free.illinois.gov.

Information for Business Owners

If you are a looking to learn more about your requirements as an Illinois business owner or how to implement stronger smoke-free policies in your workplace, click on the links below to access, download, and print the PDF documents.

For any additional questions, please contact us.