US city to enforce smoking ban in cars

[sanctus]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Bangor, in the eastern state of Maine, will become the first US city to enforce a ban on adults smoking in cars if children under the age of 18 are present.
The city council approved the controversial measure in a 6-3 vote last month, drawing a mixed response from residents, with some saying it infringes on individual freedom and others welcoming the move.

The ordinance prohibits adults from smoking in vehicles in which children under the age of 18 are present. Violators will be fined 50 dollars.

Similar anti-smoking measures have been adopted in Arkansas and Louisiana. Those measures, however, target adults smoking in the presence of children under the age of six or eight.

Bangor Police Chief Don Winslow told AFP that his officers would take a flexible approach in enforcing the smoking ordinance, issuing warnings the first few months rather than fines.

"We're not going to go out and aggressively try to find people in violation, but as we come across people that are smoking with a child present we'll use the opportunity to educate them," he said.

"We're not out there to see how many tickets we can write, we look for voluntary compliance."

Several other US states and cities are considering adopting similar anti-smoking bans.

 

[mapleleafgirl]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Bangor, in the eastern state of Maine, will become the first US city to enforce a ban on adults smoking in cars if children under the age of 18 are present.
The city council approved the controversial measure in a 6-3 vote last month, drawing a mixed response from residents, with some saying it infringes on individual freedom and others welcoming the move.

The ordinance prohibits adults from smoking in vehicles in which children under the age of 18 are present. Violators will be fined 50 dollars.

Similar anti-smoking measures have been adopted in Arkansas and Louisiana. Those measures, however, target adults smoking in the presence of children under the age of six or eight.

Bangor Police Chief Don Winslow told AFP that his officers would take a flexible approach in enforcing the smoking ordinance, issuing warnings the first few months rather than fines.

"We're not going to go out and aggressively try to find people in violation, but as we come across people that are smoking with a child present we'll use the opportunity to educate them," he said.

"We're not out there to see how many tickets we can write, we look for voluntary compliance."

Several other US states and cities are considering adopting similar anti-smoking bans.

thats so totally gay. how can they tell you waht you cant do in your own car? what are they gonna do, follow people around to see if they see a cigarette. get over themselves, shiiiiiit

 

[tamarin]

Given that so many children in this area smoke, would it be okay in Maine to smoke in a car if your kid was smoking too?
Why are democracies so increasingly under the thrall of control freaks?

 

[csanopal]

Given that so many children in this area smoke, would it be okay in Maine to smoke in a car if your kid was smoking too?
Why are democracies so increasingly under the thrall of control freaks?

And what is next? Is some community planning to ban smoking in your own home next?

How do they plan to enforce this car rule anyway? Don't the police in Maine have any criminals to chase?

 

[csanopal]

thats so totally gay. how can they tell you waht you cant do in your own car? what are they gonna do, follow people around to see if they see a cigarette. get over themselves, shiiiiiit

Then just make cigarettes ILLEGAL so we can buy them from our drug pushers and be left in peace. Pot, now that they want to legalize!

 

[Curiosity]

My heartfelt sympathies to all the healthy pink lungs ... which are turning brown.

 

[karrie]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The ordinance prohibits adults from smoking in vehicles in which children under the age of 18 are present. Violators will be fined 50 dollars.

Similar anti-smoking measures have been adopted in Arkansas and Louisiana. Those measures, however, target adults smoking in the presence of children under the age of six or eight.

.

There have been rumblings for a while from groups interested in child health issues, to make it law across the board, that smoking with a child in an enclosed space would be considered endangerment, and even abuse. Having seen the chronic ear infections and bronchitis that it causes in children, I'm thrilled that they're starting to enforce some parental responsbility.

I'm 27 years old, have never worked in any industrial setting, and have never enjoyed loud music or ever been to a rock concert, yet I have noticeable hearing loss due to repeated rupturing of my ear drums from ear infections when I was growing up in a smoking household. I was plagued with infections right up until I was 16, and literature started coming out that linked the two issues. My dad quit smoking in the house, I've never gotten an ear infections since. If it had taken a warning to my dad from a court, or a fine for constantly smoking in the house and car with us, then I think my ability to hear properly would have been worth it.

 

[karrie]

thats so totally gay. how can they tell you waht you cant do in your own car? what are they gonna do, follow people around to see if they see a cigarette. get over themselves, shiiiiiit

the government tells you lots of things you can't do in your own car, ESPECIALLY when it comes to child safety. You can't be unbuckled, and you can't let your kids be unbuckled. You can't be drinking, again, especially if you have children in the car.... it's called child endangerment. You can't be reading, can't be eating a five course meal..... the list goes on. Here I believe there are even laws stating you must be wearing shoes.

This is far from the first regulation ever written that demands certain behavior from parents in regards to their children's safety and health.

 

[thomaska]

And what is next? Is some community planning to ban smoking in your own home next?

How do they plan to enforce this car rule anyway? Don't the police in Maine have any criminals to chase?

In Boulder CO, I do believe, you can't smoke in your vehicle..and You can only smoke in your home or your backyard. You can't smoke out in the front yard.

 

[karrie]

And what is next? Is some community planning to ban smoking in your own home next?

How do they plan to enforce this car rule anyway? Don't the police in Maine have any criminals to chase?

I'd be willing to bet good money that this is step one for setting a precedent in order to ban smoking around children in homes as well.

 

[hermanntrude]

i think this is a good thing. Childrens lungs can be very badly affected by smoke although scientific proof is probably either difficult to find or contested at every turn. Even if their lungs arent affected i can guarantee they dont enjoy sitting in other people's smoke. They don't always get a choice either.

 

[sanctus]

i think this is a good thing. Childrens lungs can be very badly affected by smoke although scientific proof is probably either difficult to find or contested at every turn. Even if their lungs arent affected i can guarantee they dont enjoy sitting in other people's smoke. They don't always get a choice either.

I can't see it as a major problem myself. As Karrie pointed out, all sorts of regulations already have to be followed in our cars. I wonder if they'll make exceptions if the car only has adults in it all who smoke?

 

[hermanntrude]

I can't see it as a major problem myself. As Karrie pointed out, all sorts of regulations already have to be followed in our cars. I wonder if they'll make exceptions if the car only has adults in it all who smoke?

I think that's an issue that can be resolved by the adults in question. If someone doesnt like the smoke they can ask the smoker not to do so or to open the window or they can leave the car or eject the offender from the car if it is their car and the refuse to stop. Kids however dont get much choice, especially if it's their parents doing the smoking.

 

[sanctus]

I think that's an issue that can be resolved by the adults in question. If someone doesnt like the smoke they can ask the smoker not to do so or to open the window or they can leave the car or eject the offender from the car if it is their car and the refuse to stop. Kids however dont get much choice, especially if it's their parents doing the smoking.

No, I'm wondering in context of this bylaw itself, does it see exceptions for adult only vehicles? The article doesn't mention this, so I assume it is across the board.

 

[karrie]

I can't see it as a major problem myself. As Karrie pointed out, all sorts of regulations already have to be followed in our cars. I wonder if they'll make exceptions if the car only has adults in it all who smoke?

The way the article you posted said it, was that the ordinance prohibited smoking in a vehicle in which a child under the age of 18 was present. So, all adults would be fine according to this particular one.

 

[hermanntrude]

i think it's amusing that it's just that city. I can imagine people getting in trouble cos they were smoking just outside and so their car had smoke in it while crossing into the legal boundaries.

 

[sanctus]

The way the article you posted said it, was that the ordinance prohibited smoking in a vehicle in which a child under the age of 18 was present. So, all adults would be fine according to this particular one.

Ahh, you're right. I just re-read it myself. Thank you Karrie. That puts a new light on it, surely no one objects to that sort of a law?

 

[karrie]

Ahh, you're right. I just re-read it myself. Thank you Karrie. That puts a new light on it, surely no one objects to that sort of a law?

Oh, you'd be amazed. There are plenty of people out there who seem to think they essentially own their children and can contaminate their air as they see fit. Having my kids in school now, I see some of these kids, hacking and coughing, big black bags under their eyes, stinking of cigarette smoke, and in this day and age, their parents should know better. Everyone has been told how hard it is on kids, how dangerous it is. But mom isn't willing to drive to school without having a cigarette, and they're obviously not willing to stand in the Canadian cold to smoke at home. The schools are trying to address the issue, but some parents just honestly don't give a ____ .

 

[L Gilbert]

Although I think it's good that kids have more protection, I gotta think Big Brother (George Orwell, 1984) is hard at work. Next thing you know they'll tell you what color of paper you can use in the head (that's the loo for you Brits). But that won't be enough for the socialists, they'll want Big Brother to do the wiping for everyone, too.

 

[mapleleafgirl]

Oh, you'd be amazed. There are plenty of people out there who seem to think they essentially own their children and can contaminate their air as they see fit. Having my kids in school now, I see some of these kids, hacking and coughing, big black bags under their eyes, stinking of cigarette smoke, and in this day and age, their parents should know better. Everyone has been told how hard it is on kids, how dangerous it is. But mom isn't willing to drive to school without having a cigarette, and they're obviously not willing to stand in the Canadian cold to smoke at home. The schools are trying to address the issue, but some parents just honestly don't give a ____ .

lots of kids smoke though. but you know what youre right. i slept over my friends hose on saturday and both her parents smoke(she dosent) and everything in their house smels like cigarettes.its kinda gross. sometimes even tracy(my friend) smells like a cigarette on her clothes if you get real close to her and she dosent even smoke.her mom always has a cigarette in her mouth cos she just lights one off the old one. sick.