Mrs.PatsFanInVa

It is....and the same people who are asking for state intervention in this matter are some of the same people who totally freak out over any governmental agency attempting to limit salt intake or ban Happy Meals.

Salt and sugar are the next generation's cigarettes - there is more and more information coming available about the health risks of certain foods for children in this generation as there was information about cigarettes in the previous one....and the dangers and health risks are equally worrisome.

How can you be for government interference in one and not in the other?

Nikolai

Smoking with your kids around at all is dumb, but why, oh why are we legislating this?

While I see Darryl's point about overburdening law enforcement, I think the net effect is that the police are going to be pretty lax about enforcing it, like they are with the cell phone, eating, and looking tired while driving laws here in the northeast.

Education is the way to go. You'd be amazed how much people don't know or realize.

...or we can just clap them in irons and send them to the stocks.

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Stokes

I HATE the idea of anyone smoking in their car with their kids along for the ride, I hope its not a widespread thing, but on the other hand is this ban really going to do anything? My guess is that people who smoke in their cars with kids are also smoking at home with kids, and the kids are spending a lot more time in a smoky house than in a smoky car. Wouldn't be worth the burden of enforcement in that case, right?

chicowalker

I think there are two differences.

First, salt and sugar aren't inherently bad for you. In fact, both are needed (in some form) to live. Same doesn't go for cigarette smoke.

Second is the harm caused. Is one car ride with a smoker going to cause (permanent) harm in any degree? No idea. But I'm confident that an order of fries or a candy bar isn't going to cause any damage.

cupofjoe1962

Titus Pullo

Do we expect Ru Paul, er, I mean Rand, to sign off on this?

PatriotsReign

Like many have written, passing a law would be too expensive to enforce (and I agree), so we all responsible citizens should just publically ridicule those parents we see smoking in a car with children.

We could even have signs made that we could have our passengers flash as we drive by such low-lifes.

Or maybe we could force these smoking parents to display a sign that says,

"Baby on Board and I'm Smoking!"

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Real World

I couldn't agree more Darryl. I totally agree.

Wow. Just wow. Save the children!

Plus there's that "goddam piece of paper" with a certain text written next to the number two, that the Mrs might run into some problems with.

Bingo. Why can't people smoke in a restaurant or bar? Who is the government to tell the owner of a private establishment that he or she cannot allow patrons to smoke? This is exactly why I hate nanny state laws like these. Once you start to pass one nanny state law, an entire hoard of ugly nanny's (not the hot ones ) come looking to shake your liberty to death.

When they do, don't complain when some reject looks to pass some laws that prevent people from taking too many vitamins.

You are partly correct here. Some of the people who would whine about the gubmit forcing an adult to wear a seatbelt or be fined, restrictions on happy meals, and/or some beaurocrats messing with their food are looking for this law to pass. However, the gubmit has no right to restrict my ability to enjoy sweets, or a smoke, because some other people are stupid, fat, and lazy.

To all of you who want to see this law pass, I ask what's next? Will it then be illegal to smoke a cigarette in your house if you have a child in it? Already here in Boston they've moved to outlaw cigarette smoking in outdoor area's (say a roof deck) of the bars and clubs in the city. This is why I'm always wary of passing behavior laws to appease, or control the few, at the cost of the many. I know, I know, we gotta Save the Children!

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"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him."
Leo Tolstoy, 1897

chicowalker

I can see an argument for prohibiting smoking ina house with children, but I don't support it at all. I think where I come out on that and the car is similar to a parent hitting their kids. I don't think slapping your kid should be illegal.
But if there's clear damage done, and a pattern of abuse, then there is a crime.

Same goes for smoking, I've concluded. If a kid has asthma, for example -- this is just an example, I don't know if it's medically sounds -- and smoking is clearly harmful to the kid, the parent should be told not to smoke around the child. If the kid keeps on going to the ER because of asthma attacks triggered by parents smoking, they should be investigated for abuse / endangerment of the child.

MAybe that pov is misguided. If it is, I'm sure somebody will let me know.

And not to get too far OT, but I really hope nobody opposes this but supports smoking bans in bars and clubs. In this situation, at least we're talking about kids who have no say. When it's a bar, it's adults by definition, and every person hanging out or working there is doing so by choice. (What might bother me most about smoking bans is how many people support them simply because they're happy their clothes don't smell like smoke after they go out drinking -- as if that's a sound basis for laws.)

DarrylS

I have the same issues with seat belt laws, texting laws etc. Police are already overburdened... why create more paperwork, and other work for them.

Let police do their job, the next step will be intervening in homes where parents make the crappy choice of smoking on the presence of their kids...

More laws are seldom the answer.... when is the last time you heard of anyone cited for texting while driving?? This is just another feel good law that will not be enforced..

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