Should parents be allowed to smoke in cars with children as passengers or should that be illegal?

Question

I'm a smoker.
I'm a parent.
I'm not about to tell you how to live your life.
I'm only wondering if the life of a child, any child, means less to you than a cigarette.

Answer 1

It's illegal in Ontario, Canada. $500 fine if you get caught.

Answer 2

Children are people too. They deserve the right to be healthy, as do other passengers. If a parent can't stop smoking, they should at least stop smoking around their kids. A car is so closed up that even with the windows down, the smoke doesn't escape that well. I can smell it in someone's car even after it's been parked with the windows down. Children (and other non-smokers)develop serious pulmonary illnesses after being around a smoker, ie: Asthma, bronchitis, allergies, COPD, etc. Not only those illnesses, but it also causes ear infections. There is no reason a child (or other passengers) should be subject to these types of health problems due to a habit a parent or caregiver has (or won't stop). In my opinion, it is very selfish of a parent to not care for his/her child's health and well-being any more than that.

Answer 3

From my own personal experience, I think it should be illegal. with a child, not just a regular person, but a child, should be illegal. Secondhand smoke does cause diseases, and if the child grows up with the parents in the car, the probability of tobacco related diseases will increase.

On the other hand, how are you going to enforce this kind of law? I mean, are cops going to look into the windshields of people as they drive by or what?

Answer 4

I feel that parents should not be allowed to smoke in the cars while their children are in the same car not even if others who also dont smoke are in the car with them. I mean second hand smoke is a leading killer that causes a lot of damage to the body. If a parent smokes around their children don't be surprised when your kids get asthma or someother disease.

Answer 5

It probably should be illegal because it falls in the category of "child endangerment" but legislation to pass it in America may be difficult,being that we love "red tape" and always wait years to pass any law that makes sense.But for now it still is an ethical issue and if a parent truly cares about thier children they just shouldn't do it.

Answer 6

i think it should be illegal. Those children have a right to clean air.

I hated riding in a car with smokers as a child. You couldnt roll down the window, you couldnt breathe.

Its not fair that a child should have to suffer health risks beacuse of an adults selfish habits.

Answer 7

It should be illegal. My mother did it when I was younger and now I have asthma. It can cause ear infections and can also cause lung cancer in a non-smoker if they inhale it often and for an extended period of time. You know that cigarette or any type of smoke is bad to inhale. If a mother or father loves their child the one thing that they can make sure is that they strive for that child to have healthy pink lungs instead of black, crusted diseased lungs.

Heart disease is another concern.

Answer 8

It's the parents car. Not the kids. If the kids are getting tired of smelling the smoke, they could ask for the windows to be rolled down a bit.

Answer 9

Obviously everyone that is answering that it is okay are probably smokers themselves.

Try being a non-smoker and riding in a car with someone that does smoke. As an adult it makes it hard to breath, imagine being a child.

People suffer from the misconception that if something doesn't bother them themselves that is shouldn't or doesn't bother someone else.

Answer 10

That should've been outlawed a long time ago. It doesn't matter if the person dangles the cancer stick out the open window, that smoke can still be smelled in the vehicle. It all should be illegal.

Answer 11

Well if the person lacks common sense of the safety and well being of their children, then they shouldn't even be driving. Except it is private property and people can do what they want. So No it shouldn't be illegal.