Smoke Free Cars
A new law
Banning cigarette smoking in a car when driving with a child
Laws limiting the areas in which people can smoke have become increasingly popular. In many major cities, smoking is now prohibited in restaurants, bars, and other enclosed areas. The reason for this is twofold: first it has become increasingly obvious that second-hand smoke proposes a serious threat to the health of nonsmokers. The argument that such laws interfere with smokers' personal freedoms is outweighed by the concerns that innocent bystanders will be subjected to carcinogens. Secondly, the state has a compelling interest in discouraging smoking, given the higher healthcare costs smokers incur. The secondary, acknowledged need to discourage cigarette smoking and to promote health is why cigarette taxes are so uniformly high across the land.
That is within the car.
Of course, it could be argued that it is the smoker's choice to subject him or herself to uncirculated air within a car, and it is also the choice of adult, non-smoking passengers to remain there. This was not the case with restaurant workers, bartenders, and coworkers (which is one of the justifications of legislation prohibiting smoking in those areas) who were forced to work in smoke-filled environments. But…
