Schwarzenegger Bans Smoking with Kids in Cars

[fireman43]

Originally Posted by Snakeyes

The difference is that, with the exception of the motorcycle example (you made no mention of helmet or motorcycle seat), all are ACCEPTABLE risks in our society. The benefits of exercise in organised sports far out weigh the risks involved. The same for owning a family pet or the fun of an amusement park. You do not have the right, however, to place your child in UNNECESSARY risk. Riding with your 4 year old on a motorcycle doing a hundred miles an hour with no helmet, involving your child in blood sports, owning an aligator for a family pet, or taking them to an amusement park with broken down rides (yes, I know they are all outlandish but they prove the point) are UNNECESSARY risks and as a parent you should be held accountable for placing your child in danger.

Smoking with your child in the car is placing your child in UNNECESSARY risk. There is no benefit to it, PERIOD. It isn't healthy and we all know that. There's no arguement here.

I'm in 100% agreement with you on that. My point is that is it really going to make much of a difference anywhere but on paper? Do you honestly think that a law is going to stop people from smoking with their kids in the car? I think that even with a possibility of jail time for breaking this law that many will continue to do it. Most of those who really give a damn don't smoke around their kids without this law in place, and those that don't aren't really going to care if there's a law against it or not.
EDIT: As far as the acceptability of something. Smoking was once an accepted and respected thing in our culture. Anyone who was anyone was a smoker whether it be cigarette, cigar, or pipe. Look at all the old movies and documentaries. Smoking was ever present and accepted for the most part. Times have changed and now everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. If it wasn't smoking it would be something else. People have to have an issue to to fight for or against. It's human nature. Smoking is just one of these issues in the spotlight. I just think the government in this case is really overstepping the line, and I have to ask myself what's next.

[borndead1]

Like I said before, these types of laws set a very dangerous legal precedent.

Would you be ok with a law that makes it illegal for you to smoke in your house if you have kids?

[Snakeyes]

Originally Posted by fireman43

I'm in 100% agreement with you on that. My point is that is it really going to make much of a difference anywhere but on paper? Do you honestly think that a law is going to stop people from smoking with their kids in the car? I think that even with a possibility of jail time for breaking this law that many will continue to do it. Most of those who really give a damn don't smoke around their kids without this law in place, and those that don't aren't really going to care if there's a law against it or not.
EDIT: As far as the acceptability of something. Smoking was once an excepted and respected thing in our culture. Anyone who was anyone was a smoker whether it be cigarette, cigar, or pipe. Look at all the old movies and documentaries. Smoking was ever present and accepted for the most part. Times have changed and now everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. If it wasn't smoking it would be something else. People have to have an issue to to fight for or against. It's human nature. Smoking is just one of these issues in the spotlight. I just think the government in this case is really overstepping the line, and I have to ask myself what's next.

You're right, it may not have much of an effect on parents who already smoke around their kids. However, it does give law enforcement the recourse to punish those who are negligent to their kids when they do catch them. It's the same reason why we have laws that punish people who beat their children. Catching them might be tough (I do wonder about the enforcability of this law) but when they do, wouldn't you agree that it would be better to have a law in place to be able to punish them instead of saying, "You know that's really bad for your kids."

[Snakeyes]

Originally Posted by borndead1

Like I said before, these types of laws set a very dangerous legal precedent.

Would you be ok with a law that makes it illegal for you to smoke in your house if you have kids?

You know that's an interesting point. Other than size of contained air space, it's the same point and I think that's the kicker right there. The reason for the car law is that the amount of smoke per volume in the average car is probably quite high (density of smoke). In a house it would likely be less. On the surface I would say I would not agree with a law like this but if someone were making a case for abuse on a child and could prove that the density of smoke in the house was the equivalent of the density of smoke in a car, then I would say they put the child at unnecessary risk and should be held accountable. An overall law saying that you can't smoke in your house if you have kids...no, I would not support that because of the arguement stated above.

Maybe this is where this law should be heading in the first place. Instead of focusing on cars, focus on density of smoke exposure to children. The problem would be how do you measure and enforce this....hmmm....

[TheRealBonger]

You cannot have government determining things like this. If it is in fact as dangerous as they would like us to believe, then smoking should be outright banned. They cannont tax and keep it legal, then tell me I can't use it though. The kids are the parents responsibility not the governments. Each parent should be able to make the best choice for their circumstances. We continue to give more power to people that we then bitch about. Something needs to change.

[DBall]

Originally Posted by TheRealBonger

The kids are the parents responsibility not the governments. Each parent should be able to make the best choice for their circumstances.

Apparently, some people are too stupid to make the correct choices or this law would never have needed to even be proposed...

[Snakeyes]

Originally Posted by DBall

Apparently, some people are too stupid to make the correct choices or this law would never have needed to even be proposed...

That's true about any law. If no one murdered there wouldn't be a law saying we couldn't do it. If no one smoked in their cars with their kids around we wouldn't need a law. But people do both and we need laws in place to punish those that, as you put it, are too stupid. Sad but necessary.

[Snakeyes]

Originally Posted by TheRealBonger

You cannot have government determining things like this. The kids are the parents responsibility not the governments. Each parent should be able to make the best choice for their circumstances. We continue to give more power to people that we then bitch about. Something needs to change.

You're absolutely right, parents should make the best choices for their children and in a perfect world, all would. We would have no sexual, physical, or mental abuse of children and we wouldn't need the laws that punish those that commit these acts. The sad TRUTH is that too many parents often don't make the best choices. As a child, how do I stand up to my parents who are taking away my basic rights? That is where society MUST step in. We need laws that protect the rights of children and the ability to punish those that take them away, either through direct action or negligence. If you want to breathe in smoke, that is your God given right to do so as an adult. However, you do not have the right to take away your child's right to breathe clean air to satisfy your right. That is not negotiable whether you are the parent or not. I ask you this, if the government doesn't step in to protect the rights of your children who will? The parents???? They're the ones taking them away in the first place!

Something needs to change - very true. People need to start realizing that this is not about parental rights (or more accurately, your right to smoke where and when you like). It's about the rights of the child and protecting said rights. Your rights as a parent are not being touched one bit. The only thing this law does is make it a punishable offense for taking away the right of your child to breathe "cleaner" air. You can't tell me that's a bad thing.

[CeeGar]

Originally Posted by Snakeyes

You're absolutely right, parents should make the best choices for their children and in a perfect world, all would. We would have no sexual, physical, or mental abuse of children and we wouldn't need the laws that punish those that commit these acts. The sad TRUTH is that too many parents often don't make the best choices. As a child, how do I stand up to my parents who are taking away my basic rights? That is where society MUST step in. We need laws that protect the rights of children and the ability to punish those that take them away, either through direct action or negligence. If you want to breathe in smoke, that is your God given right to do so as an adult. However, you do not have the right to take away your child's right to breathe clean air to satisfy your right. That is not negotiable whether you are the parent or not. I ask you this, if the government doesn't step in to protect the rights of your children who will? The parents???? They're the ones taking them away in the first place!

Something needs to change - very true. People need to start realizing that this is not about parental rights (or more accurately, your right to smoke where and when you like). It's about the rights of the child and protecting said rights. Your rights as a parent are not being touched one bit. The only thing this law does is make it a punishable offense for taking away the right of your child to breathe "cleaner" air. You can't tell me that's a bad thing.

Very well said and I agree with you. I believe that some of the other folks on here are paranoid about this setting a precedent for more intrusive laws. I don't think this is unfounded. I too am worried about the continued dwindling of personal freedoms. I do believe though that when you infringe upon the rights of others something must be done. For better or for worse, these are the cards that we're being dealt in this day and age.