(a) The General Assembly finds that the abuse of cannabis and controlled substances: (1) greatly increases incidents involving crimes of violence and threats of crimes of violence; (2) causes death or severe and often irreversible injuries to newborn children; (3) accounts for the commission of the majority of property crimes committed within this State; (4) causes motor vehicle crashes and job-related and numerous other types of accidents that frequently result in death or permanent injuries; (5) contributes to the disintegration of the family; (6) interferes with the duty of parents and legal guardians to provide for the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of their unemancipated children and with the rights of parents and legal guardians to raise the children free from the physical, mental, and emotional trauma that is caused by the abuse of cannabis and controlled substances; (7) encourages and fosters the growth of urban gangs engaged in violent and nonviolent crime; (8) furthers the interests of elements of organized criminals; (9) increases the dropout, truancy, and failure rates of children attending schools within this State; (10) stifles educational opportunities for both drug users and nonusers; (11) contributes to the unemployment rate within this State; (12) reduces the productivity of employees, retards competitiveness within the established business community, and hinders the formation and growth of new businesses; (13) reduces the value of real property; (14) costs the citizens of this State billions of dollars in federal, State, and local taxes for increased costs for law enforcement, welfare, and education; (15) costs the citizens of this State billions of dollars in increased costs for consumer goods and services, insurance premiums, and medical treatment; (16) hinders citizens from freely using public parks, streets, schools, forest preserves, playgrounds, and other public areas; and (17) contributes to a lower quality of life and standard of living for the citizens of this State. (b) The General Assembly finds that, in light of the findings made in subsection (a), any violation of the Cannabis Control Act, the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act, or the Illinois Controlled Substances Act that involves the nonconsensual use of the real or personal property of another person, whether that person is an individual or a governmental or private entity representing a collection of individuals, is so injurious to the property interests and the well-being of that person that the violation gives rise to a cause of action sounding in tort. The General Assembly also finds that the delivery of a controlled substance or cannabis in violation of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act, or the Cannabis Control Act to an unemancipated minor under the age of 18 is so injurious to the rights and duties of parents and legal guardians relating to the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of that minor that the violation also gives rise to a cause of action sounding in tort. The General Assembly further finds that although the damage a person suffers through the nonconsensual use of his property to facilitate such a violation or the damage a parent or legal guardian suffers as the result of the delivery to the minor of cannabis or a substance in violation of the Cannabis Control Act, the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act, or the Illinois Controlled Substances Act is often subtle and incapable of precise articulation, that damage is nonetheless real and substantial. It is therefore the intent of the General Assembly to create a cause of action with statutorily prescribed damages for the conduct described in this Act. violence and threats of crimes of violence; injuries to newborn children; property crimes committed within this State; numerous other types of accidents that frequently result in death or permanent injuries; guardians to provide for the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of their unemancipated children and with the rights of parents and legal guardians to raise the children free from the physical, mental, and emotional trauma that is caused by the abuse of cannabis and controlled substances; engaged in violent and nonviolent crime; criminals; of children attending schools within this State; users and nonusers; State; competitiveness within the established business community, and hinders the formation and growth of new businesses; dollars in federal, State, and local taxes for increased costs for law enforcement, welfare, and education; dollars in increased costs for consumer goods and services, insurance premiums, and medical treatment; streets, schools, forest preserves, playgrounds, and other public areas; and standard of living for the citizens of this State.
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