Smoking in Your Car Could Cost You $500.00

At least in Oregon . . . if you have a child in the car and if . . . . well, here is (as Paul Harvey would say) the rest of the story.

As of the first of the year, it is against the law to smoke in a car with children present in the state of Oregon. It is considered borderline child abuse.
 
I am a wellness advocate. My whole career is focused on helping families create a healthier environment. I teach awareness and simple solutions to problems like:

"Of chemicals commonly found in homes, 150 have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological abnormalities." 1

My work does not involve the legal system and so this legislation was news to me.  I found this article quite compelling.

As recounted by The Oregonian's Christian Gaston, Jim Thompson (R-Dallas) compared smoking with little kids in the car to a parent who would "strap your kids in the back of a car and smoke them like bacon."
 
The smoker faces a fine of $250 for a first offense and $500 for subsequent ones.

The police will not be able to pull over a vehicle simply because someone is smoking in a car with children present. They will first have to cite another violation, such as speeding, running a stop sign or changing a lane without proper notice.

Although some lawmakers objected to Oregon going too far to police personal conduct,Thompson, said the state is right to protect chlldren from second-hand smoke in such closed quarters.

The Oregon House passed Senate Bill 444  in a 43-15 vote, against the objections of some lawmakers who groused about it as a “nanny state” provision, or questioned its effectiveness.

What do you think?





sources:
http://www.evhealthyliving.com/peggy
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/06/oregon_legislature_passes_ban.html
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/12/smokers_beware_smoking_in_a_ca.htmlhttp://www.evhealthyliving.com/peggy