I have to say, I'm all for this. I was against outlawing smoking in private establishments and caught a little flack for that. But I get infuriated when I look to my left or right at a stoplight and see an adult(s) smoking in the front seat with children in the back.
House dodges vote on drivers' smoking restrictions, sends bill to committee The Associated Press Article Last Updated: 02/13/2008 01:45:29 PM MST
Posted: 12:41 PM- The House dodged a vote Wednesday on whether smoking while driving with kids under 5 should be illegal, instead sending the bill to a committee where it's almost assured of death. Senate Bill 14 would make smoking in a car with a toddler present a secondary offense, meaning the driver would have to be cited for another traffic violation. A $45 fine could be waived if a driver enters a smoking-cessation course. The sponsor, Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake City, said children shouldn't be exposed to second-hand smoke when they have no choice about where they sit. Utah law says children under 5 must be in a car seat. The bill was approved by the Senate and a House committee before running into opposition from conservative House members who worry that it would infringe on property rights. Rep. Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman, said he didn't want the House to vote on the bill until it was heard in his criminal justice committee, which is dominated by advocates of private property rights, like himself. He said law-enforcement officials haven't had an opportunity to give their input, but the House sponsor, Rep. Ronda Menlove, R-Garland, said that's nonsense. The bill has been publicized in newspapers, TV and radio newscasts for months. Menlove said no law-enforcement officials sent her an e-mail in opposition or attended two public hearings to complain. By taking the unusual step of giving a bill two committee hearings, lawmakers avoided going on the record to oppose a bill intended to protect the health of children. Rep. Christine Johnson, D-Salt Lake City, brought cigarettes to the Capitol and invited lawmakers to join her in a car while they burned. None accepted. "If it's not good enough for us, why should it be good enough for Utah's children?" she said.
I do not smoke, but I am all for this. You are not even giving your kids an option. It is even worse with the window rolled up. Might as well start your kids on shots after they are born. Just put one in their bottle. My parents smoked and did so while I was in the car. It was so bad that when I was in junior high, I was called to the principal office. I was accused of smoking in the bathroom because my clothes smelled like smoke.
Wholeheartedly agree. It could even be argued (not that I want it to be argued here) that having more than one person in a car makes it a public place. Obviously, I'm an adult and if I'm riding in someone's car and they light up I can roll down a window. Small children strapped in a chair don't always have that luxury, nor the knowledge to know the health concerns involved.
I see this kind of thing too and it bugs me as well. About the only thing that bothers me more is when I see parents leaving their children strapped into car seats while they run into the grocery store or wherever. Not to say one misdoing is worse than the other, both are wrong, but leaving children open to kidnapping is worse than exposing them to second hand smoke IMHO.
scottaa1 wrote:I see this kind of thing too and it bugs me as well. About the only thing that bothers me more is when I see parents leaving their children strapped into car seats while they run into the grocery store or wherever. Not to say one misdoing is worse than the other, both are wrong, but leaving children open to kidnapping is worse than exposing them to second hand smoke IMHO.
Protect the kids.
I have yet to see this happen, but if I do you can bet I will be throwing a fit.
I was at the local grocery about a year ago. I was going to my vehicle to unload groceries and I heard a child's voice cry out "DON'T STEAL MY MONEY!" from the SUV next to my car. At first I thought I was being yelled at but realized it was two kids in car seats arguing with each other. It's against the law here in Indiana to leave kids in the car, as I'm sure it is elsewhere, so I was a bit taken aback. I stopped what I was doing, at which point another man was approaching the vehicle and said something along the lines of 'yeah, someone left their kids alone.' The windows in the SUV were halfway down so I could have easily opened the doors. While the two of us were standing there the mother of the kids came walking out and started with attitude about us being near her vehicle. The other gentleman told her that it is against the law to do what she did, she replied with a flippant 'whatever, I could see them the whole time.' I disregarded her, told the other guy that I had her license plate if he thought we should call the police. She jumped in her SUV and drove off quickly. We didn't call the authorities, but I'm hoping that the near-intervention taught her a lesson.
scottaa1 wrote:I see this kind of thing too and it bugs me as well. About the only thing that bothers me more is when I see parents leaving their children strapped into car seats while they run into the grocery store or wherever. Not to say one misdoing is worse than the other, both are wrong, but leaving children open to kidnapping is worse than exposing them to second hand smoke IMHO.
Protect the kids.
I have yet to see this happen, but if I do you can bet I will be throwing a fit.
Call the cops. They will be there in most places really fast and in many cases with CPS close behind. In a lot of states its actually illegal.
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by Omaha Red Sox » Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:29 pm 
