This week in Georgia, state lawmakers will vote on a bill that would make it illegal to smoke in a car when children are present. Senator Bruce Thompson, the author of the bill, has a lot of support from both Democrat and Republican senators. He is also getting the support of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
According to MyFoxAtlanta, “The bill says if police pull a driver over for a different reason, and they notice someone inside is smoking with a child younger than 15 years old also in the car, the driver will face misdemeanor charges and a fine of up to $100. ”
Surprisingly, some people were upset about the bill:
“I was happy that they got rid of smoking in restaurants and everything, but in a person’s car, their own private vehicle, they’re trying to make it illegal for them to be able to smoke in their own vehicle, I just think that’s going a little far,” Roslyn Breitenbach says.
How on earth would anybody think this isn’t a good idea? Children don’t get to choose and parents should realize kids do not need exposure to secondhand smoke. According to the Centers for Disease Control, “41% of children aged 3 to 11 are exposed to secondhand smoke. That causes more ear infections, asthma, and respiratory infections like bronchitis.”
States that currently have bans on smoking in cars with children are: Arkansas, Louisiana, California, Maine, and Texas.
