I just heard about this...I never knew some states already had this law.
Wow..I guess I do learn something everyday.

ABC News: Cars With Kids: NYC's Next Smoking Ban?

Here are some of the "highlights" from the story

modeled the proposal after a similar ban passed in Rockland County, N.Y., just two months ago.
Under the New York City proposal, police could stop any drivers caught smoking with a passenger who appears younger than 18 years old. The offense, if approved by the city council and ultimately Mayor Michael Bloomberg, would earn the driver a $100 fine.

Kathleen Dachille, director of the Legal Resource Center for Tobacco Regulation, Litigation and Advocacy at the University of Maryland, said that at least two states -- Arkansas and Louisiana -- have already passed laws that ban smoking in cars with passengers 6 years old or younger and 60 pounds or lighter -- the standard weight set by most states requires children to be placed in car seats.

Many other states are considering similar policies, Dachille said, including Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

What will be next, you can't smoke in your own house until your kids are 18? This is just crazy, you might as well make it illegal to smoke and be done with it.

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Interesting I am from Rockland County, NY and was there a week this summer didn't even hear a word about this law. Seems like it would be hard to enforce.

Nanny state?

Isn't it funny that these particular states are always so big on their civil rights? Guess it only applies to the rights they like. This is too Big Brother for me. What's next? Making it illegal to feed your children anything with saturated fat? Illegal if your child weighs more than five pounds over the standard weight? Mandatory charitable contributions to the disease of the year? Illegal to drink if a child is less than 100 feet away?These people are exceeding their authority.

The NAACP and the ACLU will have a field day with this.

There is only two cars I smoke in...but when they pay my cars/tags/taxes/insurance/and car payment..THEN they can tell me what I can do in it..
NOT until then...I am still mad about the new speeding laws..they let everyone from out of state be complete idiots while the ones who live in state are punished.

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Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard

That is just crazy.

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Maybe not as crazy as trying to kill your kids along w/ yourself.


I'm not a fan of government intervention in personal lives (ie I despise abortion bans, gay marriage bans, etc) and on that basis alone, I oppose this and frankly, doubt it will hold up in court. However, I just don't understand how someone could smoke around their kids and justify it. why not just give them the cigarette and lighter and be done w/ it.

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I hate the fact that I am a smoker but if this law goes into effect in Florida I hope my kid does not mind walking to school and the mall.

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So, my state wants to protect kids from cigarette smoke, but lets them ride in the back of pick-up trucks? I don't want to see adults smoking in cars that have children in them, but at least that doesn't pose the risk of ejecting anyone from the vehicle!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! TOO FUNNY!



Don't ppl smoke in their house with their kids as well??? Are they going to pay the police to check everyone's house everyday to make sure they aren't smoking in the house in front of the kid?? Where oh where will it end??

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TLJ Women united in Spirit!

I think it's time for this law. The inside of a car is a very small space, and kids are inhaling the smoke - no question. That little crack that the window is open in the winter isn't keeping the poor kid from breathing that second-hand smoke.

Also, driving a car means that a smoking parent IS out in public - way easier to police. A home is private, so smoking parents can continue to light up there as much as they please.

I am always in favor of advocating for a child's health - forcing children to breathe second-hand smoke seems cruel to me ANYWHERE, but in the back of a car? That's pretty darned concentrated stuff!

I don't think smoking with kids in the car is a good idea. But I don't think the government should be able to say what you do or don't do in your own car. Next thing you know it will be illegal to pass gas in your car with a child under 13 or something insanely ridiculous. I know they are trying to help the kids, but it is that parent's decision and it's that's parent's doctor's bills when the kids get sick from inhaling all the smoke.

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FYI, it would be really hard for me to kill my kids or myself by smoking with my kids in my car. Because, guess what I don't smoke! As someone else said, if they would like to pay for my car, my taxes and so forth then they can have a say. Till then they can stay outta my car. They already have to much as in my opinion.

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I'm a smoker and while I DO understand what message they are trying to send to people that smoke around their children, I also think they are stepping into it wrongly. While many see this as a form of child abuse and I'm sure it is to a degree even to a smoker. I also can pick apart MANY MANY things the Non Smokers are doing thats just as harmful to their children as well.

As one person has already pointed out Children riding in the back of a pick-up truck, It doesn't take much of a hit to throw a small child out of that bed. In my State a child can ride in the bed of a truck WITHOUT an adult as young as the age of 6, But yet the same law says while INSIDE that truck they have to be under a seat belt HUH ?? So having protection of a roof isn't good enough for the law in protecting that child they are required to have ADDED protection of a seat belt as well. However, It's perfectly Legal and OK to place them in a OPEN bed of a truck and thats just peachy with the law.

I don't agree with big brother having a say in this at all.

BTW, I wonder why they same law markers didn't follow up on a law like this ?>> If this was a proposed law to the Non Smokers But yet a drinker whether or not that person is a Social Drinker or right out boozer .
Law forbids a Person to drink around a child under the age of 18 ANY PLACE OR ANYTIME.

I'm willing to bet my life they wouldn't even attempt this kind of law


BTW, I know drinking and driving it against the law, But there's nothing to say that the person doesn't have a spouse or friend that will drive the car . Drinking around any child under 18 ANY WHERE would be the law.

BTW, Before anyone starts telling me Drinking isn't the same as smoking I agree to a point, HOWEVER, Both can and DO at times have deadly endings.
People can and do get stupid , they drive, fight, kill, and worse of all they wreck their home with the drinking which NONE of this is healthily, safe or role modeling behavior to do in front of a child(ren)..

This law is a 2 sided coin, It's not just because of 2nd hand smoking it's ALSO because they don't want a child EXPOSE to smoking at all for the fear they too will start smoking themselves, This is also true for Drinking, When a child sees drinking as being "cool" or "Acceptable"Whether it's from a Parent(s) or Peers, they too can fall into the same misleading trap as smoking.

I vote for if you don't want a Child(ren) to feel smoking And OR Drinking is a healthy lifestyle then remove them BOTH from the child's environment equally.

And YES I already know you can't get cancer from watching a person drink, BUT you can drink and lead a impressionable child to think it's OK to do because it's acceptable behavior from the "Adult"

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I am not a smoker, I just don't think that the government should be allowed to tell ppl what they can do in their private property. Smoking is not illegal inside/on private property. Florida mandates that ppl do not smoke inside public buildings. I for one am all for that. I don't want smoke blown in my face while I'm trying to eat dinner I think its gross. So smoking would be illegal if they lit up at the Ruth's Chris......but not in their car which they pay for and work for! Yes, it stinks they smoke in front of the kid but, whats the diff. from them smoking in front of the little ones at home? The house will be just as smoked filled as that car. Should we say that if anyone has less than a 8 x 8 room in their house then we should not allow them to smoke in there?? I hope I'm getting this message across right.......Its very early in the morning!! (for me)

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Vicki


TLJ Women united in Spirit!

The fact that kids ages 6 and up can travel in the back of a pickup truck needs to change. That is pathetic.

However, that horrible void in the legal system does NOT mean there shouldn't be a law keeping drivers/parents from smoking in a car containing kids. The cars are driving in a PUBLIC place, which makes it an offense that can be monitored, just like drivers who use cell phones that aren't hands-free.

There are responses here about the government intervening with parents too much, and with more and more freedom being taken away. I don't look at this law as something taking AWAY a parent's rights - I see it as one finally GIVING rights to the victims - the little passengers in these cars.

Regarding the many comparisons of drinking alcohol in the presense of children, and offering kids unhealthy food, the child's physical health is not affected by nearby alchohol consumption, and the child does NOT have to eat the offending food. They DO have to inhale the toxin. No choice if they're in the car.

In response to Crzy4cpns' statement that: "I know they are trying to help the kids, but it is that parent's decision and it's that's parent's doctor's bills when the kids get sick from inhaling all the smoke", guess what? The doctor can't take away the damage done to children's lungs. Doctor's bills don't make it all better when a parent smokes in a car with their kids present. So sometimes, the parent's decision in public places needs to be evaluated. To me, this law is way overdue.

I'm going to have to disagree with you on what you said about this That is not true , A young child MUST EAT whats being served to him or her till the time comes THEY know whats healthy and not healthy till that time comes they ARE under the control of what the parent is serving them to eat.
Also,
alcohol consumption DOES Effect children living in an alcoholic home Studies have pr oven this for years !!Parent do and have placed their children in cars and driven drunk !, Fathers and Mothers alike have beaten, killed their children while under the control of alcohol, Homes have broken up because of alcohol use. to YES even these can harm a child whether it's by abuse, mental, of psychological means.

Drinking is a LEARNED Behavior just as Smoking.and BOTH have ill effects on impressionable children.
One can't say Drinking does any less harm to a child than smoking does. Because they BOTH have ill effects on a child's Mental, Health and behaviors learned.

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Okay, let me see if I am seeing this right from my eyes.
They can't keep people off the cell phones in cars, enforce the seat belt law, or the carseat law, as I see them bouncening around like jumping beans everyday in backseats, We are supposed to have our headlights on when it is raining in Va. they can enforce that, they can not enforce underage drinking, they give children who are mistreated and abused and go without food back to their no good parents..they can not stop the gang drive bys, they can not stop the drug smuggling, the meth labs and all assorted other hidous vile crimes that effect children in more DIRECT ways...they can not find the money to fix the school systems or the health care, they can not help fund veterans needs, even though we are creating more veterans everyday...
Yet they want to stop and ticket parents who are smoking in their cars, which by the way is their personal property until they step out of it, on roads funded by said persons taxes on the car and state and federal they pay to keep up the upkeep on said roads, while bridges are falling from the sky.

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Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard

To clarify - I am not defending choices of parents to consume alcohol in front of children, or to offer unhealthy food to children. Those choices are also poor.
What I stress is that none of the examples thus given compare to putting smoke into the lungs of children - kids have NO CHOICE if they're in the car.

We can all bring up all sorts of examples of why there are other bad things that parents can do to their children, other laws that are difficult to enforce, or other behaviors that should be outlawed.

None of those arguments negate the reason that smoking in a car with children in it should be against the law. Just MHO.

the child's physical health is not affected by nearby alchohol consumption

I oh soooo disagree...I grew up in one of those households..it is not much different then growing up in a crack house I was neglected and did without..personally I would have rather seen my parents smoke 4 packs of cigarrettes a day a piece then drink.

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Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard

jaboomer2 I AGREE WITH YOU 100% !! i too grew up not only with drinking, and smoking but ABUSE that my Mother and Step Father did to each other when DRUNK !! I have been awoken by the sound of one or the others body hitting a wall, having every single thing in the house thrown outside. I've seen bloody noses, busted mouths, broken bones. Know what, This became NORMAL to me and I went on and MARRIED a man that abused me for 6 years. Because of all I saw by the drinking I don't drink myself NOR do I allow it around my children. So YES Drinking can and DOES cause harm to NEAR BY children. No they will not get drunk, get cancer, Cough, Asthma, but it DOES and can effect the well being of a child.

Even 1 drink can effect the ability for **SOME** people to be able to drive, think, care for a child..
Since I'm not a drinker I'm sure I would fit into this if I was to drink 1 or more drinks.

Eating bad food effects the health of EVERYONE. If a child grows up in a house hold that consumes fast food 5 out of 7 times for meals they will be overweight, Overweight LEDs to Heart, Kidney, High blood sugars, High Blood Pressure, Over wear on bones and tissues, many many health issues that cant be reverse !!

They are NOT just talking about the smoke entering the child's lungs AGAIN It's not all about just the smoke they are breathing in, It's about SMOKING All together !! They are also wanting for a parent to show good habits to young children 1 way is not to smoke in front of them hence teaching the child good health habits, This same law was talked about in Alabama last year and this was told about WHY in WHOLE they were wanting to get it passed here.
I still say that there are many more things MORE harmful to a child than a 5 Min's ride to the Post Office.. THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE !.. When children are being starve to death, beaten to death, left to die while Mommy goes and finds her next fit of drugs, Fix the things that effect the child's life 1st then worry about something that can take YEARS to effect the child's health.
No I'm NOT dismissing the FACT that 2nd hand smoke is harmful, But rather than handing out tickets thus placing MORE duties on a Officer, give that same Police department the RESOURCES and MAN POWER to go after abusive parents that CANNOT BE SEEN from a car window.

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On a side note to this *Fine* what are suppose to be done with the fine money they are collecting ??
Are they going to give it to a local Lung cancer research center ?>promote more campaigns against harm effects on 2nd hand smoke >? Just what will be done with all this money collected ???

If this is *Truly* a Law needing to be passed for the sake of the children, then I will be expecting the people that live in those states with this law to make sure the Money doesn't get passed into the pockets of YOUR state Officials.

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Everybody can go ahead and get mad at me, but I think that if it takes a ticket to prove to you that it's not the brightest idea to make in your car where the kids have no choice but to inhale it, then so be it. I'm sorry , but to me it would be common sense, hey, it's your decision to make your death wish, not your kids. It makes their clothes smell, their blankets, on and on. More ear infections, respiratory problems, allergies, HELLO !!!!!! I am a nurse, and I know first hand, how much worse smokers do after surgery, how much their health is in general, etc.., how fair is that? These kids have no choice. Kind of saving them from their parents, you know? Go ahead with the flaming, this time I don't care.....

Ballmom, I agree with you 200%. Growing up in the 70's and 80's, I had to deal with this because my dad smoked like a chimney, Lucky Strikes, 2-3 pks/day. You cannot imagine how AWFUL it was whenever we went somewhere, whether it was running errands or going on a vacation. I would sit in the backseat, b/c my mom was in the front of course, and my dad would crack his window like, an inch, maybe. It didn't matter! I felt like I was suffocating back there! It made me nauseous, and I would ask my dad to not do it, but.. He would not smoke for maybe 20-30 minutes (on a long trip), but then light up again.

Also growing up, I had bronchitis several times a year. The doctor simply said some people are more prone to this than others. But guess what? When I went to college and moved away - surprise! I haven't had bronchitis since I lived at home, 20+ years ago! A connection there?

The damage has been done, and from time to time, I do, definitely, worry about lung cancer down the road. Hey, I grew up with my dad smoking like this, plus two of my brothers. It was very unpleasant.

But more unpleasant for my dad. Anyone care to guess what happened to him?

He died of lung cancer in Sept. 1997, coming up on 10 years in a few weeks. I begged him and begged him to stop smoking when I was growing up, but he couldn't, wouldn't....

Putting my flame retardant suit on, too, but I think the time for this law is NOW. Kids should not have to suffer like that!

Suzanne

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I agree it makes common sense not to smoke in the car with your kids, my issue is it just blows my mind that *this* is the hard core thing we need to correct...call me stupid, but I just see more things everyday that is more important effecting childrens health then this..like NO freaking medical or dental care at all. As far as I can tell parents do what they will with their kids forever that is worse, and please do not tell me oh no they *swoop* in and save these children...yet put stupid laws like this on the books..I mean to me it would be better to take a homeless kid out of the car he/she is living in with no heat/water/etc. then to drag a paarent to court that is smoking in the car....I just think there are more important issues that some people should be focusing on IF their *true* interest is IN child welfare then this.
That is my major rant over the whole thing.l

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Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard

Thanks for your perspective - you're the 1st one who speaks from the point of view of the victim children in the back seat of the smoking parents' car. I appreciate your 1st hand insight.

Jaboomer, you've brought up these other issues several time in this thread, even though the original question was about smoking parents w/children in the back seat.

You have excellent points, but it seems like you feel helpless about affecting change in those other major problems in society.

You should know that you can contact your state representatives, congress people, etc. with concerns, and demand action. They are the ones who can seek to change/add/enforce laws governing such issues as medical/dental care and care of the homeless/less fortunate. They care what you say - you're one of the people who votes them in/out. I have done just that, myself, on issues that were of concern to me, and I have been satisfied with the action taken on the part of my state rep.

Additionally, I don't think this new law would be designed to drag parents to court for this offense - I think it would be your basic ticket-and-fine type of deal. Perhaps then there would be more funding available to go after the other disturbing scenarios out there that you've brought up.

I called my sister who happens to live in Rockland County, NY and asked her about this new law. She told me it was crazy because what about at home with the mom or dad that smokes are they going to stop that next?

When I was in Rockland County last month they didn't even have an signs posted on the major roads telling you about this law.

She also told me another law that happpen last winter, you are to not have your car running/warming up for more than 3 minutes.

My Grandmother and uncle was talking one day about how my grandpa was probably die from his smokeing I was like 5 or 6 later that day my grandpa and i went out to go get something and I asked him if he was really going to die cause he smoked I still remember his expression after I asked him I guess it's about like getting smacked in the head or something like that, not long afterwards he quit, put down the pack and never lit up again. He's in his upper 80's now, he's had a pacemaker put in which slowed him down from the farmwork he liked to do but he's still going strong.

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Here is my take on this....if a parent does smoke in the car with the little ones, then they probably smoke inside the home where these children reside. Its already in their clothes, hair, toys and lungs. It is no different smoking in the car versus the home. Smoke goes everywhere. It seeps into everything. Wasting tax payers money to put another pointless bill through does not seem to be the answer.

Trust me if this was the case then parents wouldn't be able to feed their kids junk food everyday, or let the go to the mall unsupervised, or watch T.V. for hours at a time, or sit on the internet with no supervision.

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Vicki


TLJ Women united in Spirit!

You're most likely correct in saying that the parent smokes inside the home, too.

But it's a little different in a small, confined car, where the smoke is really concentrated. In this example, the child really has NO OTHER CHOICE but to sit there and take it in!

As another poster (or several) said, I'm sure that this will be a ticket and fine offense. Why does this bother you so much?

I'm taking the kids' side here. Someone has to!
Suzanne

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I have to agree with MyTime on this one. I believe that the government already has too much control over what we can and can't do. Enough already!

I guess my point is some ppls opinion will differ on whats abuse and whats not. That is why it is such a hard decision to make. I think that ppl who have obese kids are teaching them a lifetime of poor health and bad choices that will lead to an untimely death (same as lung cancer they got from years of breathing in 2nd hand smoke). That is my opinion and while I am entitled to have it I am not entitled to force it on anyone else. I also believe ppl who don't supervise their children on the internet by being there watching whats going on or having a program that tells you who they are talking to and what they are talking about is abuse as well. Someone is going to seriously hurt that child.

It is a hard label to define abuse when it is around someone else opinion.

Do you think that a pop on the mouth is abuse? I do, but alot of ppl on this board will tell you that they have popped their smartmouth teenager and they deserved it.

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Vicki


TLJ Women united in Spirit!

If you're a non-smoker, then there's nothing to be upset about, right? It doesn't bother me or DH.

In this regard, I personally think the government is fair in bringing this about.

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Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant, filled with odd waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like. - Lemony Snicket

I think the government is overstepping their boundaries on this one. I don't smoke, never have, never will. Like others have said, the people who smoke in their cars with their children will smoke with the children in their homes in small enclosed rooms. I know the children don't have a say in this but I don't think the government should have a say in it either.

It's just another way for Big Brother to stick their nose into our private lives. And the more people say 'well, it's good for the kids,' then it's just another way for more intrusive of government in our lives, especially when it comes to raising our children.

Would you think the government was fair by giving you a ticket b/c your kid is fat? That would be you being a an abusive parent in my eyes. I don't know you or your child......but do you see the point I'm making here. The government can't dictate everything in everyone's lives.

I of course was just making a point here, so no flames please.

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TLJ Women united in Spirit!

I cann't find this law on Rockland's website but they do have this on second hand smoke.


Secondhand Smoke

I find that the NAACP only gets involved if it is something involving (only) Black People. The ACLU, they don't care as much, and hop on anything with notoriaty.

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While I think we can all agree that smoking is not a healthy thing to do, people continue to do it. The core of this supposed new law or whatever, is very Big Brother, in my eyes. They are taking away a freedom that you have. You can CHOOSE wether or not to smoke. I know any minor in the car, or any other person, for that matter, can not make that choice, if you decide to light up,unless they can/will get out of the car. Don't we already have child abuse laws??? If this is "child abuse" enforce THAT law, don't make new ones that take away even MORE of our freedoms.

As a side note, as for people serving in our military, and living in military housing, you are NOT alllowed to smoke in your home. How funny is that??? Those defending our freedoms, don't have the very freedom to do what they want in their home....their home, so to speak.

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Here is the law in Rockland on secondhand smoke.


Secondhand Smoke

That is crazy, I didn't know that!!!

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Vicki


TLJ Women united in Spirit!

ahhhh...but, that is on base/military housing. That would be Government property, so I can at least understand the person/entity who owns the property not allowing smoking on their property!


As to smoking in the car w/ kids--of course it's not good. And of course the smoke is "more concentrated" but I can guaran-dam-tee that the parent who smokes in the car, smokes in the home and their whole house has nicotine and other chemicals in the air.

I was a smoker--I still do on occasion. I DO not smoke in the car, I DO NOT smoke around my children PERIOD. But, that's my choice as a parent. I get to make those decisions--the government should not be stepping into the parenting realm. The government can't even get their crap together to take care of our country, but yet we are going to allow them to dictate how a person parents??

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Smoking during pregnancy is connected to autism in children, according to the following study: (July 2002) Lots of things are, not to mention, even if you don't smoke "around" the children, there is still a lot that gets transmitted to them thru normal contact with a smoker. Does that change my thinking on this law?? Nope.


: Epidemiology. 2002 Jul;13(4):417-23. Links
Perinatal risk factors for infantile autism.

Hultman CM, Sparén P, Cnattingius S.
Department of Medical Epidemiology, Karolinska Institutet, S-17277 Stockholm, Sweden. Christina.Hultman@mep.ki.se
BACKGROUND: Etiologic hypotheses in infantile autism suggest a strong genetic component, as well as possible environmental risks linked to early fetal development. We evaluated the association of maternal, pregnancy, delivery, and infant characteristics and risk of infantile autism. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study nested within a population-based cohort (all Swedish children born in 1974-1993). We used prospectively recorded data from the Swedish Birth Register, which were individually linked to the Swedish Inpatient Register. Cases were 408 children (321 boys and 87 girls) discharged with a main diagnosis of infantile autism from any hospital in Sweden before 10 years of age in the period 1987-1994, plus 2,040 matched controls. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: The risk of autism was associated with daily smoking in early pregnancy (OR = 1.4; CI = 1.1-1.8), maternal birth outside Europe and North America (OR = 3.0; CI = 1.7-5.2), cesarean delivery (OR = 1.6; CI = 1.1-2.3), being small for gestational age (SGA; OR = 2.1; CI = 1.1-3.9), a 5-minute Apgar score below 7 (OR = 3.2, CI = 1.2-8.2), and congenital malformations (OR = 1.8, CI = 1.1-3.1). No association was found between autism and head circumference, maternal diabetes, being a twin, or season of birth. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that intrauterine and neonatal factors related to deviant intrauterine growth or fetal distress are important in the pathogenesis of autism.
PMID: 12094096 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

Do we have no limits?

I believe that 50 is the limit to the number of posts or replies that can be made, so yes these are limits.

THAT is my point EXACTLY!!! Every ailment, disease, deformity, and affliction known to mankind can be somehow linked to smoking. If it's not the second-hand smoke, it's the direct smoking itself, or the breastfeeding Mom who passes along stuff in her milk. Then, after we have invaded everyone's privacy, and their rights, let's go INTO their homes and see how we can snoop around there. I think we have too much government involvement. If you look close enuf you can find fault with anything.

I'm so glad they aren't trying to implement this here. We've got people crying over their dogs not being allowed in public places.......

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

I am a non-smoker - never have, never will - but that doesn't change my opinion. The point I and some others are trying to make is that the government shouldn't be involved.

This may be slightly off topic, but I agree that the government is getting into to many areas of our lives. They are collecting information and data from several areas due to homeland security or have that right. I am at the point now that I don't even like to sign the register at church since that is entered into a program in the computer. I just don't like giving the government to much information about my private life and I sure don't want them telling what I can and can't do, IF it is legal to do so.

The last time, I checked smoking is legal. Do I like breathing second hand smoke --NO. But I do respect their rights as individuals and as long as they are polite and respectful with their smoking, I don't say anything.

I just think it's a dumb hard to enforce law.

I don't think I said anything about how you raise your children. I'll re-read my post tho, to be sure.

The point is, it's ridiculous to try and ban people from smoking in their own cars.....smoke is in your clothes, your hair....etc.,etc. If you choose to smoke, it's YOUR choice. This is yet another example of too much government in our lives, my friend.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

OH PUHLEASE! It's only disgusting when it's directed AT YOU. (although I don't think that was the point of the her post)! Saying things about how others raise their children is what this place is all about....


Frankly, comments only hurt or offend me when they strike to close to home. I don't think you would have gotten nearly as defensive if you, yourself, didn't have some sort of guilt of smoking around your children.

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"