Smoking ban in cars

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amber

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My hometown in Maine is the first in our state to make smoking banned in cars that have children under age 18 in the car. People can now be fined. This takes effect on Jan 18, and police are hoping that people will do this willingly.

I am a smoker, but never smoke in my car. There are two sides to this. Some say the government should not pry into what people do in their cars/space, others agree that it's not good to smoke in the car where children may be.

Personally, I dont like smoking in cars, it's too congested for me even as a smoker, plus I wouldnt subject kids to the smoke.

Thoughts?
 
I never liked climbing into cars that reeked with ciggy smoke. I am a former smoker... so I know. I also think that if you are a responsible parent, you would not smoke in a closed area when your children are present unless they smoke too.

I for one like the idea because hopefully it would mean less ciggy butts on the ground!!!! Why can't they use the ashtray instead of my front lawn????

When I smoked, I never smoked in the house or smoked in the car. It really makes it hard to sell your vehicle when it smells like a smokers lounge.
 
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Wow! I guess it's one way to "protect the children" since they don't have a say - but - Wow at the same time.
 
I'm a smoker. I don't smoke in the car when my son's with me for the simple fact he has asthma. I don't smoke in my house either. But I'm tired of people stepping in and telling other people where they can and can't smoke.
 
They'll be telling us what we can and can't do in the bedroom next! Keep out of my private space, law-makers!
 
kitchenelf said:
Wow! I guess it's one way to "protect the children" since they don't have a say - but - Wow at the same time.
My sentiments exactly. I quit about 5 years ago and am all for protecting the children and really hate to see butts thrown out the window...

" - but - Wow at the same time."

If it is necesary, for the health of a child, to criminalize smoking in your car, how can society tolerate smoking in your house if it is also occupied by children?
 
It's coming in to play here to, also fines if butts are thrown out of windows. The only place where we can realy smoke legally is at home when you consider all the places we can't
 
If these people WON'T protect their own children, then I guess someone should. At the same time, I'm not sure it will be legal if tested. But there is NO doubt that second hand smoke is a health hazard and these children have no recourse to avoid it. It can become a public health issue when the health care system is accessed for their pulmonary disease.
 
Plus, people who smoke in cars tend to view the entire earth as their ashtray.:mad:
How many times have you been behind a car where a smoldering projectile lands right in front of your car....or heads towards the grass?

The fires that destroyed all those 'celebrities'' homes were caused by a cigarette tossed from a car window, according to fire forensics.
 
I think the law show be re-written. I think it should be illegal to smoke in a car that has a child under 18 in it. If it is all adults in the car then the law should not apply. The children do need to be protected, but adults should be able to smoke in their car if they want to. Throwing butts on the ground should carry a heavier fine though. Use the darn ashtray in your can instead of dumping your trash on the roads.
 
GB said:
I think the law show be re-written. I think it should be illegal to smoke in a car that has a child under 18 in it. If it is all adults in the car then the law should not apply. The children do need to be protected, but adults should be able to smoke in their car if they want to. Throwing butts on the ground should carry a heavier fine though. Use the darn ashtray in your can instead of dumping your trash on the roads.


The logical progression of this would be to outlaw smoking on your home if there are children under 18 present.

If cigarette smoking is such a bad thing. Outlaw cigarettes, not smoking.
 
The difference being (and I know if is a fine line) that in a house the child or adult can be in different rooms. In the car, the child is stuck with no choice, but to sit there and suck in the smoke. Of course I do see the downfalls in my statement. Not all houses or dwellings have more than one room. Not all adults would go to a different room to smoke. Etc. I think there is a difference though.
 
GB said:
The difference being (and I know if is a fine line) that in a house the child or adult can be in different rooms. In the car, the child is stuck with no choice, but to sit there and suck in the smoke. Of course I do see the downfalls in my statement. Not all houses or dwellings have more than one room. Not all adults would go to a different room to smoke. Etc. I think there is a difference though.

I didn't say they were the same, just that I thought the logical next step would be to ban in home smoking.

I ready to outlaw the growing of tobacco.
 
And then to enforce the bans you could require nicotine sensitive smoke detectors in all vehicles and residences, linked of course to federal monitoring stations in each region manned jointly by the Department of Justice, FBI, Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, and the Department of Homeland Security.
 
...and swat teams roaming the neighborhoods ready to kick down your door at the first wiff of tobacco smoke.
 
OK folks this is starting to go down a political road and we all know we can't do that here. Lets try to get this back on track and just discuss the topic at hand without the politics involved. Thanks.
 
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