Friday, 20 February 2009
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Law to Ban Smoking Around Your Children
There are a lot of smokers in my family, including both of my parents. For as long as I can remember, they have smoked around me. This isn't to say that they will be blowing the smoke towards/at me, but I have definitely left the house smelling like cigarettes.
Now I'm reading about a law that may be passed in North Dakota prohibiting parents from smoking in their own car if occupied by a child younger than sixteen years old.
Even in my eyes, this may be pushing it a little.
I agree that you should not smoke around children, given the complications that come with second-hand smoke, but prohibiting you from smoking in your own car?
Do you think that's a violation of one's personal freedoms? Would you support this law if it were in your state?
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Comments (54)
I'm a smoker. I don't smoke in my house and I don't smoke in my car, whether or not my son is with me. I think this is right on.
Clearly, it isn't wise to smoke in front of a child.
But when laws are passed concerning whether or not people can smoke on their own property (cars, homes, personally owned businesses), it makes me wonder where it will end. I was hoping the matter would drop once we elected a smoking president.
I don't smoke, but I don't plan on making it illegal for anyone else.
I'm a recently quit smoker, but even when I smoked I supported this. I would never smoke in my house or my car-with or without my son because I knew that he would ride in it.
It's not a law telling you that you cannot smoke in your car at all, just not with a kid in there. I mean, you can't drink alcohol in the car either right? Tobacco is a controled substance, so I don't really see the difference.
I fully support laws like this one. By smoking around your child you are putting them in harms way. Their little bodies are still developing and second hand smoke is worse than first hand. I'd say that's child endangerment. While I sound a little radical, I know, I very much dislike smoking, so I would say this is a good law.
I support the idea of this "law" but I don't support it. I think most people just need to be more responsible for themselves in choices like this.
I smoke, but we don't smoke in our house (because we have a kid...) and we smoke in our car, because it's been previously smoked in, but we NEVER EVER smoke when our daughter is in there...except once I forgot she was in the car lit my cigarette took a drag and then threw it out once I realized she was in the car... I couldn't believe I did it, but I think the law makes sense, you kind of have to be a little teensy idiot to smoke directly with your kid in a closed environment...even with windows down your kid is still gonna get the effects of second hand smoke... I even wash my hands after every time I smoke outside, I'm sure it's still on my clothes etc. but whatever I can do to make the environment around my duaghter the best it can be I'm all for...
I hope to God that something like this passes through and becomes a law. Yes, it should just be up to the parents to make the right choice for their children, but so many dont. A law like this could be the only voice children have. I would be allllll in favor of it.
@odetocorny@xanga - I agree with you. Alcohol has many more laws than cigarettes, but both are controlled substances. You don't drink and drive period. But especially not with children in the car.
As a parent, I will not let my kids be around others who's parents smoke. It's unhealthy and gross and I don't want that influence on my child. I would be furious if someone smoked in the car/house with my child in there. I don't even let people smoke around me while I'm pregnant. I refuse to be around it. I definitely support this law.
I definitely support it. Kids don't realize that second-hand smoke is bad for them and they have no say in the matter when it comes to their parents smoking around them. Someone has to look out for them if their parents choose not to. (I am NOT saying that you are a bad person if you have children and you smoke so don't attack me - I know many people, such as the previous posters - who smoke but make the environment that their children live in safe for the children.)
A law to protect children from smoke sounds great... it sounds great but whats next I wonder? Laws to make it illegal to give your children unhealthy food? Hey what about making it illegal for your child to not exercise enough? What about laws to protect children from too much television and video games? I am sure children would appreciate laws forbidding 6 hours of homework.... But where do we stop this inch by inch surrender of our parental rights to the government? When do we again start expecting the parents to be the parents? ~Echo
I have a friend whose parents smoked non-stop. She lived in a pretty disfunctional home to begin with but when she moved out, her health improved dramatically. Her siblings now beg to stay at her house to get away from the smoke and asthma triggers. The son, now 12, has had a smokers cough since he was 8. It's pretty disgusting and as of right now, I would totally vote for this to be passed. However, if they start passing laws like this one, it's only a matter of time before you can't have a glass of wine with dinner if your child is present... So, I don't know.
I don't believe in the 'common man' enough to expect them to act responsibly on their own, so I encourage 'forced responsibility' for critical things through law. I would consider this among them. Putting a child, someone who cannot otherwise speak up and defend themselves, at risk, is unacceptable. They should have every possible protection of the law from danger. It is classified in child endangerment law I would say, and I don't see being allowed to endanger a child as a right or a freedom. It's not. This is why we have seat belt laws. This is also why we have laws about leaving children home alone. Protect those that cannot protect themselves with every piece of the law that they can. Secondhand smoke is a clear health danger, so a law like this is justified and proper. I would vote yes twice.
@echois23@xanga - I agree with you.
I am happy to see that this could be a law -- I wish more places would do it as well. What's the difference between banning smoking in a car, and drinking and driving? I say, nothing. Now, of course smoking a cigarette isn't threatening the lives of people outside of the car, but it threatens the lives of the poor children on the inside. They are both personal liberties, but if it threatens the lives of those around them, personal liberties should be a second thought.
I would support it. I think it probably makes it worse to smoke around your children when you're in such a tiny contained area.
@echois23@xanga - Well put. :) But I guess the answer to that is when parents start acting like parents, maybe then we can trust them (the parents) enough to raise their kids properly.
@thinkin_up_dreams@xanga - Anyone who thinks that the government will be better at raising children than the parents are should spend a week in the foster care system.... parents are not ever going to be perfect but I would rather take my chances with the parents than with the government.
I would fully support this law. I don't smoke, but several members of my family do. My parents have never ever smoked inside or in the car, and I appreciate that. However, my mother in law smokes constantly, and it doesn't matter if I (who has allergies triggered by cigarettes) or her young grandchildren are in the house/car with her. When I have children, I won't want them exposed to secondhand smoke like that.
I'm agree to having this law...
smoking actually is not good at all
The people around me tat is a smoker
I will ask them plz try to dun smoke
Smoke only will effect ur health, effect ur family, friend health, I hate smoker, so I wish my friend around me won't be a smoker.
its not to great to smoke in front of your kids.
i think that it should be passed because thats causing complications on someone elses life.
My dad is a smoker who never smokes in the car or in the house. I'm not sure how I feel about the law, but I do know I that don't want people smoking around me or my future baby! For example, there is no smoking in the plaza of our town square and in the public park near my house because they are family oriented places. There is also no smoking in restaurants in my city.
ND FTW!
Personal freedom? How about the personal freedom of the children? They don't have much of a choice do they??? I definitely will support the law. I am not a smoker, but I hate it when smokers violate my personal freedom.
Second Hand smoke isn't nearly as bad as you think it is I'm to lazy to go into the details but you can look it up for yourself.
What worries me is not the law itself; I believe that smoking is a very bad idea, for anyone, but particularly children by way of second-hand smoke. However, I have a huge problem with a law being passed that can tell anyone what they can or cannot do in their own cars. That violates our personal freedoms as Americans, and I don't believe the government has a right to dictate it. I'm not saying it's not a good idea to try and protect our children... but it's pushing the envelope to have "Big Brother" watching us.