Personal Freedoms and Second Hand SmokeFollow

I think people will still do it. S-m-r-t people.

Slippery slope!

Next thing, they'll be banning it in people's private residences on Halloween as kids will be coming to the door trick-or-treating. Pretty soon they'll ban smoking altogether as some child might happen by looking for a cookie or rat poison. Then cigarettes will go the way of marajuana, becoming way more expensive and tying up drug authorities when they could be spending their time on more serious drugs like smack and coke.

Or I could just be having a knee-jerk reaction.

Won't you think of the children?!

California will soon pass a law mandating that your hands be on 10-and-2 if children are in the car. Not only is it safer driving, but it makes it a lot more difficult to beat a kid whilst driving.

My dad used to smoke in the car after he picked me up from Latchkey (explains a lot, eh?), but I hardly attribute that to my nicotine habit now.

Doesn't Cali have more pressing issues to deal with?

I agree with DSD, but then the next logical step is to pervent parents from smoking at home if their kids are inside the same room. Or if they might enter it at some point. And preventing pregnant women from somoking full stop.

I agree all these things *should* be done by responsible parents. But is it the state's role to enforce it? And aren't fatty foods just as bad?

Dunno, just seems like a slippery slope.

Well, yes. Your car is your private property being used privately by you. A restaurant is a privately owned but opened for public use.

As a closer comparison, smoking is already banned in taxis in most cities.

I agree that you shouldn't smoke around children, much less in an enclosed vehicle but, "think of the children" aspects aside, this legislation is at least a degree more restrictive to personal liberty than a restaurant ban.

As a smoker I think this bill falls short.

Yes people should be able to smoke, no it's not an infringement on their rights to ban smoking everywhere people congregate.

Smoke at home- Ok.

In a bus stop- Not ok.

At home w/ children- Not ok. I grew up dealing with this shit, no one should have to. Go outside, suffer if it's 30 below/105 outside.

At work, restaurant, bar etc- Not ok.

There shouldn't be a reason you can't go outside and smoke. It should be against the law everywhere except residences and outside.



Unless there's a sniper afoot.

I doubt you'd find anyone to disagree with anything you said up to this point. And your outlook and actions pertaining to smoking are admirable, and what most reasonable people would consider common sense when it came to it.

And before you say it, I agree that unfortunately not all people in our country look at it like this.



Agreed. Except that I think there is such a thing as over-regulation. Not to mention, it's a law that will be very difficult to enforce. A police officer would have to literally catch someone in the act. Even if they saw someone with a cig in their mouth as they drove by, by the time they pull them over the person can ditch it and it becomes their word against the cop's. Then they get a lawyer involved, and you have to prove guilt. Then it starts to become a waste of time. I'm quite certain that cops in California have much better things to do than cite people for smoking.

As to children not having a voice, I'd have to disagree there. I know some kids that got some hella powerful lungs on them. And some of them can be quite clever for their age too. My step-sister smoked from the time she was 13 years old. She finally quit 2 years ago, mostly because her two boys, both under 6 years old at the time, pestered her into doing it. Every time they fired one up they would start giving her the stink eye, or say something about how bad cigs stanks, etc. It took her a while, but she finally kicked the habit. She directly attributes it to her boys telling her what was up.

A law like this looks good on paper, and seems like a good idea looking at the immediate effects of it, but if you start looking at the broader picture it might not be such a good idea. Right now the best thing the government can do is to continue the campaign to educate and warn people (and kids) against the dangers of smoking. It seems to be working pretty well over the last few years, and the banning of smoking in public places was a good step. Because it is practical and not so difficult to enforce.

true. But where does one persons rights overshadow anothers? How hard is it for one who chooses to smoke get out of the car versus a child choosing and being able to get out. While it maybe conisdered private property, does ones ownership of said car then overrule the rights of people passenging when it comes to being forced to inhale intoxications we know is not healthy?



Children do have a voice, and a very loud one at that. But when it comes to the younger ones, babies and toddlers who dont know what smoking is, there is no voice. And just because an older child may complain, the full implications on what second hand smoke is doing to them personally, is not yet fully understood. We as the adults are supposed to protect them from harm, and I find that includes second hand smoke. I agree the cops have more pressing matters to deal with, but this coming into light is a step in the right direction.



I agree. But even if there was a law that made people stop and think, even if it was just a "fluff" law, would be better than nothing. It would be a good kick in the *** to those who dont think about their choices affecting others, if even they pause a moment before they light up in the presence of kids

I think DSD would be pissed when they confiscated her kids though...or did you mean for all future births?

Children don't have rights until they pay taxes and support themselves. Any time before that, they are property.

how is my parenting up for question then?

Yet another excuse to use a child as an ashtray, twsiting and smashing the firey butt into their pudgey little arm as the red and blues turn on, all the while reinforcing who the real criminals are.

"See what the pigs make me do?"

I miss you, Grandma.