Calif. bans smoking in cars with kids

[okarol]

Calif. bans smoking in cars with kids

By STEVE LAWRENCE, Associated Press WriterThu Oct 11, 6:04 AM ET

California motorists will risk fines of up to $100 next year if they are caught smoking in cars with minors, making their state the third to protect children in vehicles from secondhand smoke.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday signed a bill that will make it an infraction to smoke in a vehicle if someone under age 18 is present. But the traffic stop would have to be made for another offense, such as speeding or an illegal turn, before the driver could be cited for smoking.

The ban, which takes effect Jan. 1, joins a string of smoking prohibitions adopted in California, including a ban on smoking in enclosed workplaces and within 25 feet of a playground.

A Harvard School of Public Health report issued last year said secondhand smoke in cars can be up to 10 times more of a health risk than secondhand smoke in a home.

"Protecting the health of our children is among government's highest responsibilities," said the bill's author, state Sen. Jenny Oropeza, a Democrat. "It is clear that increasing public awareness about the dangers of secondhand smoke is the right thing to do."

At least 20 states and a number of municipalities have considered limiting smoking in cars where minors are present. Arkansas now bans smoking in cars with children age 6 and younger, while Louisiana has limited it when children 13 and younger are in the vehicle. Maine lawmakers will take up the issue in January.

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I think it's a good idea, I never realized smoking in the car with kids was 10 times worse than in the house!

[glitter]

Whats wrong with rolling the windows down?
I hate it that government is starting to think for us 'for our own good'. I saw yesterday where in one city in CA now you cant smoke in your own home if it is joined like a townhome. Before you know it they will just outlaw smoking. Creeping incrementalism.
"For the children" is no excuse to chip away at our freedoms. I am also a non-smoker. Maybe they are going to outlaw my twinkies next. More governmental interferance is just not the answer.

[skyedogrocks]

  I'm a non-smoker, so I think this is a great law.  I wish Mass would do it.  Even with the windows down people in the car are subjected to the 2nd hand smoke.

I can't stand behind behind or next to a car where someone in the car is smoking with the windows down and I can smell it.

[Chris]

I predict that Britney Spears will be in the news in the future about this ban.

[glitter]

I'm a non-smoker, so I think this is a great law.  I wish Mass would do it.  Even with the windows down people in the car are subjected to the 2nd hand smoke.

I can't stand behind behind or next to a car where someone in the car is smoking with the windows down and I can smell it.

yeah it smells bad..but so does too much perfume, and fried fish, and onion breath.
 With the windows down going 25 miles an hour no one gets second hand smoke-its blown out of the car. Maybe they should ban campfires too.

Being in favor of the government taking away our rights cause this particular law suits you...what happens when they get to the laws that don't? It may be too late to save your freedom.

[paddbear0000]

I wish they had this law when i was growing up. I have (not so) fond memories of my friend's Dad chain smoking in the car, driving us home from Brownies when we were little. During the winter, he wouldn't roll down the windows and by the time we got home 25 minutes later, from the outside, the car looked like there was a fire inside from all the smoke! It was horrible. Sometimes I ended up throwing up, it was so bad! I am now terribly allergic to cigarette smoke.   

[goofynina]

It's about time they did something good,  finally a law that makes some sense.    I am a smoker, i guess you can say a closet smoker, i smoke 1 cigarette a day but if i am drinking, that's a whole nother story   I cannot phathom how an adult could even smoke around kids to begin with.   I cannot stand to see people smoke in their cars with the windows rolled up, i could just imagine how they smell or the car for that matter.  I smoke outside and i try to blow it away, i know i still smell but i am usually by myself when i do smoke cuz i would hate anyone to smell me after i smoke, for my peeps going to Vegas, i apologize in advance  

[vandie]

I'm a non smoker and grew up with parents that smoked.  I hated being in the car when I was a kid.
I think it is a good idea not to smoke in the car with your children.

That said,  because something is a good idea doesn't mean it should be a law.  I agree with Glitter, when does it stop? 

[skyedogrocks]

I'm a non-smoker, so I think this is a great law.  I wish Mass would do it.  Even with the windows down people in the car are subjected to the 2nd hand smoke.

I can't stand behind behind or next to a car where someone in the car is smoking with the windows down and I can smell it.

yeah it smells bad..but so does too much perfume, and fried fish, and onion breath.
 With the windows down going 25 miles an hour no one gets second hand smoke-its blown out of the car. Maybe they should ban campfires too.

Being in favor of the government taking away our rights cause this particular law suits you...what happens when they get to the laws that don't? It may be too late to save your freedom.

Too much perfume, fried fish and onion breath isn't going to give me lung cancer.  2nd hand smoke will.  What if a person is sitting in the parking lot with the window rolled down?  Doesn't that child/person get the full effect of the 2nd hand smoke?

[skyedogrocks]

I wish they had this law when i was growing up. I have (not so) fond memories of my friend's Dad chain smoking in the car, driving us home from Brownies when we were little. During the winter, he wouldn't roll down the windows and by the time we got home 25 minutes later, from the outside, the car looked like there was a fire inside from all the smoke! It was horrible. Sometimes I ended up throwing up, it was so bad! I am now terribly allergic to cigarette smoke.   

Same here.  My father smoked cigars and my mother smoked cigarettes.  I have awful memories of that smell and lighheaded feeling while driving in the car with them as a kid.  Even with the windows rolled down it sucked.  I absolutely hate the smell and get nauseous when I smell it to this day.

[George Jung]

What if a person is sitting in the parking lot with the window rolled down?  Doesn't that child/person get the full effect of the 2nd hand smoke?

Then this law will be totally ineffective as they cannot write a ticket unless there is another reason to pull you over.

It is ridiculous to leave it up to the law to do the parenting.  Are we going to start seeing lawsuits because the state I live in doesn't enforce this law and therefor caused damage to someone.  Personally I don't need the government to think for me and make my decisions.  OUT OF CONTROL

If it is such an issue just make them illegal alltogether.  Wouldn't that save lives.

[Stacy Without An E]

This is how it begins, slowly and surely the government starts to regulate our lives because they don't believe we have enough sense to raise our kids properly. Our individual rights and privacy are eaten away piece by piece until it's all been swallowed up by Big Brother.  I live in Northern California and we always seem to be first to overregulate everyone's lives.

One of these days I'm going to declare a run for the presidency under the "Common Sense Party."

Our tagline: "Sense is Not Common Enough."

Stacy "Common Sense Party 2012" Without An E

[glitter]

Go Stacey! 

Too much perfume, fried fish and onion breath isn't going to give me lung cancer.  2nd hand smoke will.  What if a person is sitting in the parking lot with the window rolled down?  Doesn't that child/person get the full effect of the 2nd hand smoke?

I am not argueing that smoke it bad for kids- of course it is, and parents who are decent people protect thier kids. Most people complain about the stinky smell of ciggerette smoke.

What I don't like is laws that chip away at freedoms. I am a parent, the government does not need to tell me how to be one, nor do they need to make laws under the  guise 'of protecting the children' this isn't really about the kids- its about creeping incrementalism, they chip away at your rights in tiny little ways that no one can object to, because they know an outright ban on ciggerettes (or whatever) would invite protest. But make no mistake -the agenda is far bigger. They want to control how you think and what you can do- the problem with that is that you become no longer FREE. First it was smoking in government buildings , then all buildings, then parks, now cars where there is kids, homes that ajoin other homes with walls in between. If they would have tried to outright ban ciggs. people would have hollered, no one wants prohibition. Look at whats happening- before you know it ciggs will be outlawed. and even as a non-smoker, i do not want the government deciding what is right and wrong in my life.

[skyedogrocks]

What if a person is sitting in the parking lot with the window rolled down?  Doesn't that child/person get the full effect of the 2nd hand smoke?

Then this law will be totally ineffective as they cannot write a ticket unless there is another reason to pull you over.

It is ridiculous to leave it up to the law to do the parenting.  Are we going to start seeing lawsuits because the state I live in doesn't enforce this law and therefor caused damage to someone.  Personally I don't need the government to think for me and make my decisions.  OUT OF CONTROL

If it is such an issue just make them illegal alltogether.  Wouldn't that save lives.

You can still be in a parking lot and have the cop give you a ticket for littering, noise violation.  It doesn't matter what speed you are going, you can still get the effects of second hand smoke.  If you are on a highway, is your hand going to be out of the car the whole time with the cigar/cigarette?  I doubt it.  

As I stated before, I personally think this is a great law and hope that other states follow in line.  I would think if you had children, people would stop smoking in front of them.

I remember the days when people could smoke in offices.  It was hard to get away from it....I remember being in meetings in between 2 bosses who smoked a cigar and cigarette.  

[George Jung]

You can still be in a parking lot and have the cop give you a ticket for littering, noise violation.  It doesn't matter what speed you are going, you can still get the effects of second hand smoke.  If you are on a highway, is your hand going to be out of the car the whole time with the cigar/cigarette?  I doubt it. 

As I stated before, I personally think this is a great law and hope that other states follow in line.  I would think if you had children, people would stop smoking in front of them.

I remember the days when people could smoke in offices.  It was hard to get away from it....I remember being in meetings in between 2 bosses who smoked a cigar and cigarette. 

I am dumbfounded..........................

VOTE STACY 4 PRESIDENT

[skyedogrocks]

You can still be in a parking lot and have the cop give you a ticket for littering, noise violation.  It doesn't matter what speed you are going, you can still get the effects of second hand smoke.  If you are on a highway, is your hand going to be out of the car the whole time with the cigar/cigarette?  I doubt it. 

As I stated before, I personally think this is a great law and hope that other states follow in line.  I would think if you had children, people would stop smoking in front of them.

I remember the days when people could smoke in offices.  It was hard to get away from it....I remember being in meetings in between 2 bosses who smoked a cigar and cigarette. 

I am dumbfounded..........................

VOTE STACY 4 PRESIDENT

George chill...it's just my opinion.

[angela515]

I think that it should be a parents common sense that keeps them from smoking in their car with kids in it... now the law. I am a non-smoker and hate being in any car with someone smoking in it, or has been smoking in it... but I do not think the law should be the one telling us we can or can't... thats a little f'king insane.

[George Jung]

George chill...it's just my opinion.

Why when I make a reply is it that you tell me to chill.  Why can I not simply say that I am dumbfounded and you just leave it alone?

I am chill.  I just think your opinion is crazy and that is just my opinion.  It's nothing personal, I don't even know you.

[Patton]

I have my own car now...and I remember when it didn't bother me that mom smoked and it smelled bad in the car. When I got my own I got used to no smoke, or filthy film, and it disgusts me too be in her car. I also believe we as Americans should not be forced to do everything either politically correct, or looking over our shoulder wondering if what we're doing is bad or not. I don't think smoking is good but it's also one of those birth rights. Not to mention personal choice. I don't think there is an answer, because everyone can rant about things all day long but if noone is willing to compromise then why discuss it. It's really not worth the energy. People need to spend more time catching real criminals like child molesters and rapists. Life is all about little faults. Noone is going to die healthy. This site is all about coping and dealing with dialysis, just as an example. Instead of trying to change everyone, people need to cope and deal with the smokers. A recent study showed that smokers who have been smoking regularly for awhile, can't or shouldn't try to quit because if they do they will have a severe health problem. It destroys they're body even more than actually smoking. 

[Patton]

By the way the only thing an officer has to say, for a reason to pull you over, is they perceived you as suspicious. Totally rediculous.

[glitter]

A recent study showed that smokers who have been smoking regularly for awhile, can't or shouldn't try to quit because if they do they will have a severe health problem. It destroys they're body even more than actually smoking

I'd like to see that study- I quit smoking almost two years ago and I do feel like my lung power is waaayyy better! I do defend peoples right to smoke,drink, commit adultry, smoke pot, or smoke toothpaste. I don't want to be as free as you think I should be.

[Chris]

I'm not a smoker, but glad I don't have kids. You can't even spank them these days due to politically correctness. In theory it is a good law, but totally impractical. It is just something that is just nice to think about, but not actually putting into law. I wonder if it was a law while Schwartzenager wasn't governor smoked around his kids with his cigars how he would feel about the law. I'm sure he smoked around his kids. But what do I know, I'm the 400 lbs Gorilla. That's my opinion and I'm sticken to it.

[okarol]

My mom smoked like a chimney my first 16 years of my life, then I started smoking and did it for 11 years. So I didn't have a smoke-free day in 27 years. I quit 25 years ago because I wanted to have kids.
Yeah it would be great if parent's used common sense and didn't smoke around their precious kids, but it's a powerful addiction. It's more demanding than any other addiction I struggled with. We've known for over 30 years that smoking is unhealthy -  warnings were put on cigarette packs:
    * Caution: Cigarette Smoking May be Hazardous to Your Health (1966)
    * Warning: The Surgeon General Has Determined that Cigarette Smoking is Dangerous to Your Health (1970)
    * SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, And May Complicate Pregnancy. (Present)
    * SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Quitting Smoking Now Greatly Reduces Serious Risks to Your Health.
    * SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Smoking By Pregnant Women May Result in Fetal Injury, Premature Birth, And Low Birth Weight.
    * SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Cigarette Smoke Contains Carbon Monoxide.
All this government involvement has probably made some impact. Smoking is forbidden in nearly three out of four U.S. households, a dramatic increase from the 43 percent of homes that prohibited smoking a decade ago, the federal government reports. I would love if all parent's made good choices about what they expose their kids too, but many don't.
My son is 19 and has been smoking for almost a year. It breaks my heart.

[paddbear0000]

This is how it begins, slowly and surely the government starts to regulate our lives because they don't believe we have enough sense to raise our kids properly.

A lot of people don't have enough sense to raise kids--those that drink too much around them, do drugs, leave them home alone too young, leave guns laying around, leaving them in a hot car alone, not keeping an eye on them in public, do stupid shit like Brittany Spears, etc. etc. Some people shouldn't be allowed to have kids if you ask me.

[glitter]

This is how it begins, slowly and surely the government starts to regulate our lives because they don't believe we have enough sense to raise our kids properly.

A lot of people don't have enough sense to raise kids--those that drink too much around them, do drugs, leave them home alone too young, leave guns laying around, leaving them in a hot car alone, not keeping an eye on them in public, do stupid shit like Brittany Spears, etc. etc. Some people shouldn't be allowed to have kids if you ask me.

 it would be nice if only perfect parents had kids- but then many of us would not exsist!!