Law would ban smoking in cars with kids inside

Law would ban smoking in cars with kids inside

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Story Published: Jan 21, 2008 at 7:19 PM PDT

Story Updated: Jan 21, 2008 at 11:40 PM PDT

By KOMO Staff

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OLYMPIA -- A law being proposed to state legislators would ban smoking in a car if there are children inside.

State Representative Shay Schual-Berke compares it to drunk driving, saying you're injuring your children for life if you smoke with them in your car.

"Did you know that the poisons from secondhand smoke, which we know cause cancer in adults; we know cause asthma and bronchitis in children and adults, is also associated with sudden infant death syndrome?" she said. "I've seen people smoking and I've watched their children in the backseat coughing."

Some are all for the ban, including Christina Porter, who says she'd never smoke with kids inside.

"No, not in a million years; that's one of my biggest pet peeves," she said. "Who else is going to protect the children if the parents aren't going to do that themselves? It's no different than saying we can't smoke in a restaurant or a bar."

Others say it's an invasion of privacy.

"I really do not believe that a government should be insisting on laws like that. It's just a little intrusive now, definitely," said parent Bryan Bailon.

Schual-Berke says you wouldn't get pulled over just for smoking while your kids are in the car. But you could face roughly a $100 fine if you're caught after you're pulled over for something else. She says the law is needed to protect children.

Several states already banned smoking in cars with children, including California and Alabama. Supporters of a ban here say 27 other states are considering a similar ban.

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