I'm all for making things safer for children, however like someone in the article said "most smokers have enough common sense to not smoke around kids in a car". I'm on the fence about it. I generally don't smoke in my car if my nephew is with me unless it's summer and my window is rolled all the way down. And I position my arm so that most of the smoke goes outside anyway - whether I have passengers or not.
What interests me is that not only did they pass this city ordinance - they approved it as a primary offence - not a secondary one. So if a police officer sees you smoking - they have every right to pull you over under the assumption you have a child in the car. A secondary offense would be only if you were speeding, had a headlight out, etc. then they could also get you for smoking with a child in the car.
I'm wondering how they are going to enforce this. Will they have signs posted all over the city for people who don't live here and are just travelling through that you cannot smoke with a child in the car? It will be interesting. And I agree with whoever said it, I think cell phone use is more imminently dangerous for all passengers of a car while driving. I hate when my cell phone rings in the car and I hate talking on it while I'm driving.
ROUNDEYEZ, in Maine you cannot smoke in any public place, restaurants/bars/stores, etc.
