MPs overwhelmingly back ban on smoking in cars carrying children (UK)

[corksean]

Source: UK Guardian

Smoking in cars carrying children is set to be banned after MPs overwhelmingly backed the plan in a free vote.

The House of Commons supported the plan, first put forward by Labour, despite the misgivings of some cabinet members, including Nick Clegg, over whether it will be too difficult to police.

Under the proposal the government will now have powers to introduce a new offence of exposing children to smoke in vehicles, with breaches of the law likely to incur a small fine.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/feb/10/mps-smoking-ban-cars-children

[ForgoTheConsequence]

1. Europeans are fascists!

Smokers have the right to blow their toxic smoke in the faces of anyone they choose. This is just a another assault on the liberties of smokers. My right to smoke trumps my child's right to healthy lungs.

[Coyotl]

13. Yeah, f*&k the consequences

You forgot the thingie

[Prophet 451]

2. Hmmm

While I support the general aim (and I'm a smoker), like Clegg, I question whether it will be possible to effectively enforce such a law. I also question whether this amounts ti micro-managing citizens, given that children of smokers are likely to be exposed to their smoke at home anyway (no, I don't have any kids).

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. A car is an even more restricted atmosphere than a house

a smaller volume than any room, and children have the freedom to go to a different room in a house. I think it's a law worth having, even if it's hard to enforce. There are other laws that are difficult to enforce, and people often break them without being caught, but we still have them.

[Prophet 451]

10. All true

I confess that I may be over-reacting due to Cameron's tendency toward "nanny state" policies (see our internet filters).

[ForgoTheConsequence]

14. God forbid the state protects our most vulnerable.....

If that's not what the state is for, I don't know what is.

[L0oniX]

8. OFFS yea who cares ...because they are exposed in the home too.

[Prophet 451]

11. If you had read what I said

I said I supported the general aim.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

9. It shouldn't be a whole lot harder to enforce than, say, cell phone and driving or car seats.

If a cop is behind or next to someone at a light with a cigarette in their hand or mouth, and kids in the back, write 'me up.

Or it can be a secondary offense.

[Prophet 451]

12. Fair point

While I don't have any data to hand, anecdotal evidence suggests that these are normally written up as either secondary offences or "bad luck" catches (i.e. cop pulls up right beside you at the lights). This will probably work out the same way.

[eilen]

4. There should be a law banning farting too.

Not only in cars but in public transport. I'm sure a test could be made to determine the source......

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. By-laws on spitting on public transport have been fairly common

They possibly arose from the fear of spreading TB, but that would make them comparable to smoking.

[marble falls]

7. Public spitting was a major cause for the spreading on TB. Banning public spitting and the tossing..

of cigars and cigarettes into gutters (where others would grab them up and smoke them) was an important step to reducing TB. The spit evaporates and makes a TB laden dust that others would breath in.

[marble falls]

6. The differnce being farting causes bad jokes and secondhand hand smoke from the time I was.....

a kid in the fifties gave me a non smoker my entire life bladder cancer - a tobacco smoke related cancer. Not smoking around kids is not an abridgement of one's civil rights. Its courtesy and life preserving. I was lucky. Thankyou for not smoking around kids voluntarily and if you can't do it on your own, well then by all means, lets involve the law.

[awoke_in_2003]

15. I am a smoker...

I do not smoke in my home or car. The wife and grandchildren are more important than my need to smoke indoors.

[marble falls]

17. Sounds resonable and considerate to me.

[Nye Bevan]

16. But inhaling carbon monoxide and tar is a rite of passage!

Enough with this mollycoddling! Mandatory car seats, playground surfaces that don't break your bones upon impact, and now this.... where will it end?