Alcohol Policy Action in Illinois
Illinois has introduced a new law to protect public health by preventing confusion between alcohol-infused products and non-alcoholic items.
Effective January 1, 2025, bill SB 2625 requires in-store product separation for items like alcohol-infused ice cream, whipped cream, and ice pops. This regulation aims to prevent underage access to alcoholic products and protect people with alcohol use disorder from accidental exposure.
Illinois is a federal state in the Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash and Ohio rivers to its south. Of the fifty U.S. states, Illinois has the fifth-largest gross domestic product (GDP), the sixth-largest population, and the 25th-most land area. Its capital city is Springfield in the center of the state, and the state’s largest city is Chicago in the northeast, according to Wikipedia.
Alcohol Burden and Need for Action in Illinois
People and communities across Illinois face a severe alcohol burden, including a high death toll and heavy costs due to alcohol harm. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals alcohol’s toll:
- Average number of deaths due to alcohol per year: More than 5900.
- The 5-year average annual rate of alcohol deaths per capita in Illinois increased by as much as 52.0% from 2015 to 2019.
- Annual economic cost due to alcohol harm (lost productivity, criminal justice, and health care costs) in 2010: $9.7 billion.
Statistics also indicate that Illinois faces a significant burden from the harm caused to children and youth by early onset of alcohol use and binge alcohol consumption.
New Definition for Alcohol-Infused Products
According to the Lansing Journal, the Illinois Liquor Control Act now defines alcohol-infused products as frozen or semi-solid food items containing more than 0.5% alcohol by volume. This includes, for example:
- Alcohol-infused ice cream,
- Whipped cream with alcohol,
- Alcoholic ice pops, and
- Gelatin-based products with alcohol.
This classification ensures proper regulation and clear labeling to prevent consumers from mistaking these products for non-alcoholic versions.
Retail Display Requirements to Protect Public Health
The Lansing Journal reports that retailers must follow strict separation rules for alcohol-infused products. The law applies differently based on store size:
Small Retailers (≤2,500 sq. ft.)
If alcohol-infused products are not physically separated, retailers must display clear signage identifying them as alcoholic beverages. These signs must state that these products can only be sold to people over 21.
Large Retailers (>2,500 sq. ft.)
Alcohol-infused products must be physically separated from non-alcoholic items that appeal to minors, such as soft drinks, fruit juices, bottled water, candies, or snacks with cartoons.
Without proper signage, alcohol-infused products cannot be placed immediately next to these non-alcoholic items.
No More Misleading Placement
Under the law, alcohol-infused products cannot be immediately adjacent to non-alcoholic items unless signage is displayed. According to The Lansing Journal, “immediately adjacent” means:
- Directly touching or bordering from above, below, or the side,
- Not across a separate aisle, and
- This prevents subtle marketing tactics that could encourage underage alcohol use.
Why This Law Matters
People and communities across the state of Illinois face a severe alcohol burden, including a high death toll and heavy costs due to alcohol harm, as data shows and people’s stories tell. That the state legislature takes measures to protect vulnerable people and communities is therefore an important step.
Preventing Confusion and Underage Exposure
Minors, anyone under the age of 21 and other vulnerable groups, are at serious risk when alcohol-infused products resemble ordinary snacks. In fact, mistaking alcohol-infused products for non-alcoholic counterparts is a particular danger for:
- Minors,
- People with alcohol use disorder, and
- Children from families with alcohol problems.
Furthermore, Illinois Liquor Control Commission (ILCC) Executive Director Lisa Gardner emphasised that this law protects public health by ensuring clear product separation and preventing alcohol marketing targeted at minors.
The law is a step to denormalize alcohol and better signal to the public that alcohol is not an ordinary commodity.
Illinois’ new product separation law is a necessary step to prevent alcohol use initiation and normalization among minors and to protect vulnerable populations. By ensuring clear signage and proper product placement, the state reduces the risk of accidental alcohol exposure and prevents alcohol marketing tactics that target young consumers.