Smoking bans in private vehicles?

[Dos Equis]

Heard a story about this.  Didn't realize it's the law in my state.  "A smoking ban in cars with children already exists in Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine and Oregon as well as Puerto Rico.  Several other states, counties and towns are discussing similar regulations."  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_bans_in_private_vehicles#United_States

Not sure what I think about this.  Should the government be allowed to ban smoking in a car with kids in the car? 

[Roger Bacon]

You shouldn't be smoking around kids, bars are a different story.

[240 is Back]

You shouldn't be smoking around kids, bars are a different story.

kids get thirsty too

[OzmO]

Heard a story about this.  Didn't realize it's the law in my state.  "A smoking ban in cars with children already exists in Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine and Oregon as well as Puerto Rico.  Several other states, counties and towns are discussing similar regulations."  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_bans_in_private_vehicles#United_States

Not sure what I think about this.  Should the government be allowed to ban smoking in a car with kids in the car? 

Didn't realize it either.

I agree with PiP

[Dos Equis]

Didn't realize it either.

I agree with PiP

I agree no one should smoke around kids, but people do it all time.  What about parents who smoke in the house? 

[OzmO]

I agree no one should smoke around kids, but people do it all time.  What about parents who smoke in the house? 

Tough to enforce and a tough argument resulting in a law like that. 

But yeah, second hand smoke is not good and kids shouldn't be exposed to it. 

But like many things in our society, we can't always rely on people to be smart enough to choose the right thing. 

[Dos Equis]

Tough to enforce and a tough argument resulting in a law like that. 

But yeah, second hand smoke is not good and kids shouldn't be exposed to it. 

But like many things in our society, we can't always rely on people to be smart enough to choose the right thing. 

Sad but true.

What about a woman who smokes cigarettes in her third trimester? 

[OzmO]

Sad but true.

What about a woman who smokes cigarettes in her third trimester? 

Personally i think it should be banned completely for anyone who is pregnant.  But i do not know if that it such a good thing to make into a law. 

[Deicide]

What's next? Banning drinking soda in private vehicles because it can spill and is carbonated? or coffee because it is hot and can spill AND contains caffeine? State power gone mad and I say this as someone who HATES smoking.

[OzmO]

What's next? Banning drinking soda in private vehicles because it can spill and is carbonated? or coffee because it is hot and can spill AND contains caffeine? State power gone mad and I say this as someone who HATES smoking.

That's 1 problem.  People need to be smart enough to not do these things on their own without turning it into a law.

The other problems is the child getting harmful second hand smoke. 

where do you draw the lines?

[Dos Equis]

Personally i think it should be banned completely for anyone who is pregnant.  But i do not know if that it such a good thing to make into a law. 

I'm not sure about making it illegal either.  Just seems like it would be too difficult to enforce. 

[Deicide]

That's 1 problem.  People need to be smart enough to not do these things on their own without turning it into a law.

The other problems is the child getting harmful second hand smoke. 

where do you draw the lines?

I guess it depends on what your politics are; since I am a libertarian I think people should take responsibility for themselves in this regard without government authority telling them they have to and it will get worse and worse. Smoking will never be banned though because the tobacco lobby is all-powerful.

[Dos Equis]

I guess it depends on what your politics are; since I am a libertarian I think people should take responsibility for themselves in this regard without government authority telling them they have to and it will get worse and worse. Smoking will never be banned though because the tobacco lobby is all-powerful.

What about protecting kids? 

[Deicide]

What about protecting kids? 

In what regard? States have drinking laws for socalled minors. What else do you want?

[Dos Equis]

In what regard? States have drinking laws for socalled minors. What else do you want?

Talking about the first post in this thread.

[OzmO]

I guess it depends on what your politics are; since I am a libertarian I think people should take responsibility for themselves in this regard without government authority telling them they have to and it will get worse and worse. Smoking will never be banned though because the tobacco lobby is all-powerful.

Yeah, our politics may be sound in theory but in practice they aren't always practical. 

the issue here isn't non-victimized crime because harm to children is involved. 

[Deicide]

Yeah, our politics may be sound in theory but in practice they aren't always practical. 

the issue here isn't non-victimized crime because harm to children is involved. 

The children argument is bad for a lot of reasons. Parents need to take responsibility for their children and protect them otherwise the government should ban kitchen knives which are far deadlier than smoking, after all, who knows? Maybe a child might get his hands on a knife and injure himself? anything can be dangerous and if there is a risk to children then parents need to step up, otherwise all children should simply become 'wards of the state' in lieu of parental authority.

[Dos Equis]

The children argument is bad for a lot of reasons. Parents need to take responsibility for their children and protect them otherwise the government should ban kitchen knives which are far deadlier than smoking, after all, who knows? Maybe a child might get his hands on a knife and injure himself? anything can be dangerous and if there is a risk to children then parents need to step up, otherwise all children should simply become 'wards of the state' in lieu of parental authority.

The difficulty in drawing lines is a factor, but how about the specific issue of adults smoking in cars with kids.  Should the government step in and protect kids who ride in cars from cigarette smoke? 

[Deicide]

The difficulty in drawing lines is a factor, but how about the specific issue of adults smoking in cars with kids.  Should the government step in and protect kids who ride in cars from cigarette smoke? 

Well, I don't think the government should but then I again I am generally against most government bans; this one is really a no-brainer for me.

[Dos Equis]

Well, I don't think the government should but then I again I am generally against most government bans; this one is really a no-brainer for me.

So kids are on their own? 

[The Showstoppa]

The children argument is bad for a lot of reasons. Parents need to take responsibility for their children and protect them otherwise the government should ban kitchen knives which are far deadlier than smoking, after all, who knows? Maybe a child might get his hands on a knife and injure himself? anything can be dangerous and if there is a risk to children then parents need to step up, otherwise all children should simply become 'wards of the state' in lieu of parental authority.

Huh?  Do you know that stats on how many people die from smoking each year?  to try to compare that to some "what if" about kitchen knives is just stupid. 

[garebear]

What's next? Banning drinking soda in private vehicles because it can spill and is carbonated? or coffee because it is hot and can spill AND contains caffeine? State power gone mad and I say this as someone who HATES smoking.

How are these related to kids having to breathe a carcinogen?

Or are you trolling?

[240 is Back]

What about protecting kids? 

do you think we need greater govt involvement in how people raise their kids?

When chunky MoBoama tried to tell kids how to eat, you had Sarah palin handing out Beef jerky at daycare centers to defy her.

Now the govt can tell us what air our kids should be breathing?  Kinda a double standard there.  Both things - junk food and smoke - are dangerous.  But we should limit only 1?

[blacken700]

[Deicide]

How are these related to kids having to breathe a carcinogen?

Or are you trolling?

I am not trolling at all. I don't like the government telling people what to do, that is my general position. I hate smoking but I don't want the government to tell me whether I am allowed to do it or not. It's not about the risks but about government mandating people to behave in a certain way and it is certainly tricky with children BUT children are the offspring of their parents and hence their responsibility, not the government's. Of course, practically, how would one enforce this? Should smoking be banned in private homes as well when children are in the picture?