PE.com - Commuting Blog

Smoke with a kid in the car, go to jail?

Okay, that's a bit of an overstatement, but lawmakers are taking an increasingly dim view of people who smoke in the car when minors are present. Their thoughts are based on the idea that, like in the workplace, restaurants and bars, second-hand smoke is bad for you, especially if you are strapped into a car seat and can't exactly get out of the car and away from the fumes.

A bill from state Sen. Jenny Oropeza, D-Long Beach, calls for prohibiting the practice. It is on the governor's desk and awaits his signature. He has until Oct. 14 to sign it, veto it or allow it to become law without his signature. A variety of pro-health and anti-cancer groups are supporting it.

Violators would be issued tickets, but only as a secondary infraction, ie you get stopped for speeding and they also notice you are smoking in a car with a minor present. The punishment would be a $100 fine.