Should Smoking Be Banned In Cars With Kids?

re: Should Smoking Be Banned In Cars With Kids?

auschick — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 02:26:00 GMT

well most states in Australia have already banned smoking in cars with kids.

as for dc - smoking is already banned in restaurants, pubs, bars etc... even with obama in office, i think dc will prob still stay pretty progressive with its anti-smoking stance :)

re: Should Smoking Be Banned In Cars With Kids?

jennydecki — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 04:21:57 GMT

Because if everyone is busy focusing on smokers, you won't be focusing on your crappy air quality.

Which in most cases (if you're remotely urban) is worse than smoking.

I hate when privacy is sacrificed to the altar of public health under the banner of "for the children" - please! *snort*

re: Should Smoking Be Banned In Cars With Kids?

lilacorchid — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:25:40 GMT

Manjari, it's not that I think worrying about children's welfare is getting old, I think that the general panic about raising children in the perfect environment is getting old. To me, this law is probably going to be hard to enforce, and frankly, I'd rather the police were busy with other more serious crimes.

I don't think you should smoke in a car with kids. I do believe that instead of making it illegal, there should be ad campaigns to educate the public. Why isn't drinking while pregnant illegal? Doesn't that cause more problems than a second hand smoke? Why can't we have the same sort of public awareness for smoking in cars?

re: Should Smoking Be Banned In Cars With Kids?

Manjari — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:55:09 GMT

lilacorchid, the problem is that so many people don't do the right thing on their own. So if a child has parents that choose to smoke in the car (with the windows rolled up in winter), then that child just deserves all that smoke? Why is thinking of children's welfare "getting old" for you? As a teacher, I have seen so many awful, awful things that happen to children because their parents are not willing or able to stop and decide for themselves to do the right thing. The law would protect the children of those parents, not the children of parents who are already not smoking in cars with their kids. Doesn't that make sense?

re: Should Smoking Be Banned In Cars With Kids?

lilacorchid — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:22:02 GMT

I'm not protecting my rights to smoke in the car with a baby or child. It's the feeling that the government is legislating too much of my life. Common sense tells me I shouldn't smoke in the car with a child. Perhaps a better idea would be to launch an ad campaign similar to the anti-drinking and gestating campaign? Embarrassing people into stopping may be more effective than having police chase down smoking parents.

OMG THINK OF THE CHILDREN is really getting old for me. Why can't we stop and decide for ourselves?

re: Should Smoking Be Banned In Cars With Kids?

BettyWu — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 21:36:36 GMT

Hmmm. The car seat argument is a good one.

re: Should Smoking Be Banned In Cars With Kids?

Manjari — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 21:17:50 GMT

I don't see why anyone needs to protect their right to smoke in a car with a child. I agree with NBRMom.

re: Should Smoking Be Banned In Cars With Kids?

gpgirl — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:59:07 GMT

I'm not sure I agree with you on the invasion of privacy. A car is not exactly a private space. What you do in a car is highly regulated. (For example, you can't drive drunk, but there is no law saying you can't drink in your home. A cop can pull you over and make you take an alcohol test, which I would think invades your privacy more than noticing you are smoking in your car.)

Also, we require special car seats for children. If you didn't have a child, you wouldn't need one of these seats.

re: Should Smoking Be Banned In Cars With Kids?

BettyWu — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:47:23 GMT

I'm with you. Make it illegal or don't. It's got to be just as unhealthy to be stuck in traffic with your kids - are we going to make that illegal?

this is not to say I'm a big proponent of cigarettes or CO2. I also enjoy puppies.

re: Should Smoking Be Banned In Cars With Kids?

NBRMom — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:00:04 GMT

it should be illegal. The child has no control (they can't hold their breath or not ride in the car), and it is proven to be unhealthy. I consider it a form of child abuse, or neglect at least.

re: Should Smoking Be Banned In Cars With Kids?

Khrystena — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:36:10 GMT

There are many provinces in Canada, including the one I live in Ontario who have banned smoking in cars with children. As a child of smokers, it made me really sick growing up to be in the back seat of the car while they were smoking. And they opened the windows, I know people who don't do that.