Oregon Legislature Passes Ban on Smoking in Car with Kids Present

[ciderguy]

I hadn't seen anything about this and wanted to let everyone know. This passed and is going to the Governor's desk. He has reportedly said he'll sign it.
They've defined smoking so that it applies to more than tobacco:

(b) As used in this subsection, 'smokes' means to inhale,

exhale, burn or carry a lighted cigarette, cigar, pipe, weed,

plant, regulated narcotic or other combustible substance.

Article: http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/06/oregon_legislature_passes_ban.html#incart_most-comments
Bill: http://gov.oregonlive.com/bill/2013/SB444/

 

[jndyer]

I love living in Oregon with its natural beauty; however, I do not like living with all of the liberal rules this state has to offer. I can not even mention my disappointment to my fellow Oregonians because they just shake their head and say that I should not smoke. My life is not my own in this state...

 

[jndyer]

I wonder what people will get sited for being that it is an offence to hold, inhale, exhale any combustible material. Of course tobacco and marijuana would fall under this, but so would incense (not that many people burn incense in their vehicles.) Of course using a scented candle is out if you are in an RV.
Let's be creative and figure out what other activities are now banned from this law.

 

[jndyer]

Relating to smoking in a motor vehicle.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. { + Section 2 of this 2013 Act is added to and made

a part of the Oregon Vehicle Code. + }

SECTION 2. { + (1)(a) A person commits the offense of smoking

in a motor vehicle if the person smokes in a motor vehicle while

a person under 18 years of age is in the motor vehicle.

(b) As used in this subsection, 'smokes' means to inhale,

exhale, burn or carry a lighted cigarette, cigar, pipe, weed,

plant, regulated narcotic or other combustible substance.

(2) Notwithstanding ORS 810.410, a police officer may enforce

this section only if the police officer has already stopped and

detained the driver operating the motor vehicle for a separate

traffic violation or other offense.

(3) Smoking in a motor vehicle is a:

(a) Class D traffic violation for a first offense.

(b) Class C traffic violation for a second or subsequent

offense. + }
Full text of the new law.

 

[soggycitybob]

I grew up in a household of smokers and I hated it. I choose not to smoke around my kids. I'm ok with the law for the kids' sake. Of course, can't enforce what adults will smoke inside their homes.

 

[gwtwdbss]

I bet pregnant women are still permitted by law to smoke in their homes and outside a vehicle in Oregon an NH. :crazy:
It should be common sense and not a law in my opinion. I do not support this as it will lead to other freedoms being slowly taken from citizens of this country.

 

[damnyak]

Yeah, for some reason I do not think this is a bad thing, Almost a "common sense" thing...however, does common sense even exists anymore.

 

[numbersix]

It should be common sense and not a law in my opinion. I do not support this as it will lead to other freedoms being slowly taken from citizens of this country.

+1
I grew up with two parents who smoked everywhere - in the car, in the home. It wasn't a smart thing to do (and we kids all complained on long trips!) - but it was a different era and we survived.
I continue to believe in education over incarceration.

 

[erichbaumer]

My problem with it is that the state is doing parents' jobs for them, presuming as always that we need government control to be safe/healthy/happy/effective parents etc, because people are too incompetent to help themselves, but people sitting in a legislature are much better qualified to live their lives. Sure, maybe you shouldn't smoke in a car with your kids. It's not the government's problem. Plenty of ill-advised actions are legal and should remain legal.

 

[lordofthepiperings]

So it's okay to smoke in a car with a 17 year old. That makes total sense, NOT. I swear some of the particulars politicians put into these bills are ridiculous.
When I smoke in my car I always crack the windows, so it doesn't linger or fill up the car. If I were to smoke in my car with a passenger I would definitely be polite and ask if they minded me having a pipe during the car ride.

 

[plateauguy]

Both my parents smoked like chimneys. I really didn't think about it, because all of my cousins were raised the same way. Certainly not the healthiest way to grow up, but people really didn't know better in the 40's and 50's.
On the other hand, I have never smoked around my daughter, or grand-daughers, and I think pipe tobacco is a lot different than Camels or Lucky Strikes. I don't believe in smoking around children so I can understand a law like this, but I hate the fact that the government has stepped in to do what the parents should have.
Let's face it, not everybody does the right thing, but everytime the government takes over we loose more of our rights. You are not entitled to any thing but life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - rather open to interpretation, but our founding fathers were smarter than we appear to be.

 

[wnghanglow]

@lordoftheoiperings- I think the *flawed* logic is that once someone is 17 they normally have a car or can drive there parents car to school.
This is a tough one for me, I hate when personal freedoms are lost and I hate when laws play in dumbing down the people, but I also believe this is something that should be common since and I don't think anyone should be smoking with children in the car. I really don't know what to think about this.

 

[jdto]

I'd love it if everyone had common sense, courtesy and all the other uncommon commonalities, but that isn't the case. Sometimes, you have to make a law or two to enforce what should not be necessary to enforce, but is. I don't really consider this to be "liberal", it's just an unfortunate reality of living in a society where some people are morons.

 

[youngpiper1]

Thats stupid. How much of second hand smoke do you think isn't really from tobacco but from all the smog in the air the corporations factories put in, but yeah they don't wanna change anything about that, as far as im concerned i aint concerned about the persons smoke flame from a ciggie, or a pipe, or whatever, im more concerned about the huge smoke stacks filling up my car if I drive with the windows down on the high way

 

[puffy]

People used to smoke in my car.I hated it.The car had ashes all in it.My seats and carpets had burn spots.My windows had to be cleaned constantly.I got fed up with it so this fall when I got a new car I instituted a no smoking policy in my car.Folks realize now that's the way it is.They may not like it,but they live with it..This is just me..Everyone else will do as they choose.

 

[alancairns]

It's the "loophole" thing. First, no smoking in a car with young passengers. As you can see from the above, this is not really controversial. Next, it turns out this is difficult to enforce. So, anti-tobacco comes up with "Let's close the loophole about passengers under 16". Now it's all smoking in cars is banned. One private space less. Homes next.
Alan

 

[flyguy]

I do not smoke in my vehicle with my grandchildren present. That being said, when I am smoking my pipe in my office my grandchildren enter and walk into my smoke cloud sniffing deeply because they love the smell of the tobacco. Their parents don't object but it probably won't be long before they legislate that I can't smoke in my own home when children are present...

 

[Perique]

Some of the responses here speak to why we're in this mess. You think you can use the sword of state as a tool, aiming it where you want it. You think you can control it. But the current trajectory of events should demonstrate unequivocally that you cannot.

 

[pipeinhand]

NANNY! Mommy and Daddy are SMOKING. Eeeeeew.

 

[taerin]

The next ban will be outdoors entirely because kids might see it and want to do it... Same for the car. On a side note, it is legal to drive naked and you can't get arrested for it, even if an officer has to remove you from the vehicle for another reason, because it's not considered being in public.