Man smoking a pipe standing in front of an automobile, from the Theodor Horydczak Collection, Library of Congress
The only thing about a proposed law in New York State that would ban smoking in cars carrying children under the age of 14 that surprises us is how long it took to come up. A6714A passed the Assembly on June 28, and Senate S3191A has been committed to the Rules Committee, meaning it’s a hop, skip and jump from Governor Patterson’s desk, where it’s likely to be committed to law.
Comparable legislation is already on the books in California, Maine, Louisiana and Arkansas, with pending legislation in 19 other states and innumerable municipalities.
We’re fine with people smoking—it’s certainly no more hazardous than nitromethane fumes, and we’re completely in favor of those. But when you’re engaging in an activity that puts a child at risk, and there is no doubt whatsoever that smoking around children hurts them, your rights take a back seat to those of the kid.