Smoking in Cars

I wish I could say I thought that this would help, but I really don't. It's an addiction, and people will, sadly, pay anything to feed their addictions. Personally, I think that this law is perhaps more necessary than most people would think. I'm not saying everyone who smokes is a jerk who doesn't think about people around them, but unfortunately in my experience a lot of smokers don't care about the effect of their habit on others. Even young children. I used to work in a parking garage, and I saw a suprising number of people smoking in their car. I'll give them the benifit of the doubt and say they didn't realize that when they open the window to pay the gal at the exit, the smoke blows right into her face. It also bothered me how many cars like this I saw come through that had kids in them. I'm not talking teens, here, I mean little kids. Around 5 or younger, some in booster seats or carseats. This is why such laws are called for. Because some people are either inconsiderate enough or stupid enough that it never occurs to them that the smoke is really bad for little kids, and they can't be bothered to exercize some self control and not poison these young children. Personally, I think smoking in general ought to be more restricted than it is--like you have to stand away from the doors of major public buildings (such as the mall for example). I hate having to walk through a cloud of smoke to get into or out of the mall or a resturant or someplace equally public.

I'm in Ontario, Canada, and they are attempting to pass the same law here. However, they are going one step further, and laying the groundwork to remove children from smoking parents on claims of 'child abuse'. Yet people still drink around their children. *rolls eyes* Honestly, is $50.00 enough to stop them? Nope. Not in the least. And regardless, the government has NO place regulating every step of parenting, no matter the risks. I'm sure this sounds harsh, but think about it ... where is the line drawn? Will the police start passing out fines in fast food joints to parents who feed their kid greasy foods? It's not good for them, high cholesterol has been proven to have serious health risks, so why not? There has to be a line, and the anti-smokers are trying to blur the line. It will backfire on them when something they condone but a small minority rally against is the new hot topic. I happily await the day. :)

Hmmm...this is an interesting concept. I am not a smoker nor have I ever been a smoker. I have a child who is almost three years old. One of my biggest pet peeves is inconsiderate people who smoke around my child. I'm in favor of this law because if second hand smoke has the ability to kill adults imagine what it might be doing to the lungs of our children. It's our role as adults to take care of our nation's children. This new law in Maine does just that. In Pennsylvania, where I am from, people are still permitted to smoke inside public places. Grrr!

actually i dont smoke . but smoking in car is danderous 4 u .so my advise is that u dont smoke in the car ok ................have anice day .........................................

i don't think that fine is enough. The harmful consequences also will spread awareness

I don't believe in smoking around children. I have two children who i have never smoked around and if i am in a place were people are smoking i take my kids out. i also will not smoke around other peoples children even if they do and tell that they don't mind if i do. on the other hand i wonder why they don't protect the children (who cannot protect themselves)from abortion.

I am an avid anti-smoker but I believe the govt should not get involved with stupid laws like that. What if you have your windows open while driving? That way the child doesn't get the smoke. What about a cabrio? Does the law consider that? Wait. Driving in LA with your windows open and children in the car should be fined too. With all the smog there that's as bad as smoking in front of a child. Why stop there. Just living in an area with smog is child abuse and a child should be taken away from parents. Since air quality in major cities is mostly bad anyway, why not ban minors from cities altogther?!? It's bad for them and they can't defend themselves.

Kudos to Bangor for passing such a great law! Why should children be subject to smoke. People who smoke need to realize that they have the right to choose when it comes to smoking, but the children and people who don't smoke should not have to inhale their smoke. Second hand smoke is a proven killer. I think that most people who smoke will not stop doing it even when a fine is involved. It is selfish of them to smoke around their kids.

I think the law should be equal to protect everybody who is not smoking. not only for people under 18 but also for the babies, women and the elderly people. If they only protect people under 18, that means the law is not sensitive enough about the other groups of people who should be protected too. Well, that's my opinion only. Other people may have their own views about this matter.

yes u r absolutely right ... pl shud be fined 2 smoke in public ... they spoil the genx ... gret thought

I think its great i dont drive so makes no difference to me but we now have that law here in mi. good idea seeing that second hand smoke is very bad for children

i think so smoking is injuries to health so all goverment make band on it

I grew up in a house with a mom that smokes as well as a dad that smoked. I did not turn out bad. Who has the right to tell me what to do in my own home or in my car. I am paying for that house and I paid for the car. What happened to the constitution? We only have the right to privacy when it suits others. We only have the right to persue of happiness when it suits others. If smoking is bad for us and the government has the right to say we can't do it what is next? I know red meat is bad for us so lets get rid of that. Salt is also bad for us so lets take it off the shelves and not sell it. Fried food is bad for you so now you can only back your food. Once we get rid of all the things that are bad for us what is left? A very boring life or a police state. I am sorry but I want to smoke and I want to eat red meat and I like to flavor my food with salt. America was founded on freedom. Instead of worring about a child being in a loving home with a smoker maybe someone should worry about the children being molested and beat on. There are more serious problem going on around us than to worry about someone smoking.

I think the government has gotten out of hand. I think there are way too many laws. And not enough focus on the real criminals.

i smoke, but not in car.He diverts me and it becomes dangerous to drive, and the smoke impregnates the driver's cabin.

u cannot stop a person who is 15..to 18 yrs of age.... they . are highly grown up... ppl...n know wat they are doing.. n know the effects n all ... so smoking not allowed in front of.under 18 person . is.. foolishness... ppl dont smoke in front of kids.. thats for sure.. i haVe seen it.. many many times.. ..

I am from Australia and they are trying to pass this law here as well. I am a smoker and I do not smoke in the car while children are present, and you are right the people doing this are only thinking about themselves and not thinking about anybody else health this is the problem. Maybe they will start with the $50 fine and then if this is not stopping them they may increase the fine.

I am a non-smoker and several of my friends smoke and feel what they do in their car or home should not be anybody elses business. I think smoking in your home or car is your choice, as long as you don't smoke around me. Personally, I don't think a $50.00 fine would stop people from smoking in the car with their children and am certain my mother in law would have just paid the fine. She passed away last year from lung cancer and use to tell me I will smoke and will not quit until I die. If the law went into affect in other states, I hope the fine is higher and the money is used to inform children of the dangers of smoking, as people tell me its difficult to stop smoking. I understand having a bad habit, as mine was coffee and had a hard time kicking the pot of coffee every day. I would like to see people fined for doing any type of thing that distracts from driving like putting on makeup, reading a map, talking on the cell phone and playing with the radio dial. Think of how many accidents would be prevented.

The saying - "if you must smoke - hold your breath" has some element of humour in it; it is also the plaintive call of the non-smoking minor exposed to second hand smoke. A friend of mine, now in his seventies recounted growing up in a small London home where both parents were smokers. The steel blue haze that characterised his vision of the world. This man went on to earn a Ph.D in Nuclear Physics and was involved in the early development of semiconductor devices. To this day he suffers respiratory problems. We have seen people smoking in cars with non-smoking passengers, be they children or adults in Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, France, Germany, USA and in most of the 57 countries we have visited. We take particular note since MG is a smoker who has always been sensitive to the effects of secondhand smoke on other people. We need to not only protect our children from second hand smoke, but every human being (what about our pets?) has the right not to be exposed to the secondhand smoke of others. Here, in New Zealand where we live now people are generally very sensitive to environment and to each other. And yet, we see people smoking in cars with children in them. Every smoker knows that smoking in public places is banned and yet they callously inflict their children with the side-effects of their personal vice. Yes, we believe that stringent fines need to be imposed while at the same time understand the difficulty in policing compliance. Unambiguous legislation coupled with extensive education is what we believe will save the day for the non-smoker, whether minor or adult.

A $50 fine won't stop them. People should have enough sense not to smoke around children.