I am not a smoker. I never have been. My husband quit since we found out we’re having a baby, but he never smoked in the house or in our vehicles when I was present. And he wouldn’t have smoked when our child is in the car.

But what about parents that do? Do they have the right to smoke in their own vehicle? Or do their children’s rights to breathe smoke-free air trump the parent’s right to smoke? A report last year said secondhand smoke is more of a health risk in a car than it is in a home. So whose rights are more important?

Since kids, especially infants, can’t choose not to breathe smoke, a parent should take that into consideration when smoking. But does every parent? No. But neither does every parent make their child stay seated and strapped into a booster or safety seat, even though there are laws to that effect. So, will a ban on smoking in cars really deter a parent who wants to smoke? Probably not, until they actually get hit with a $100 fine. And even then, it may not stop them from repeat offenses.

There’s a heated discussion about this topic going on over at Maya’s Mom, where readers are taking opposite sides of the debate.

So what do you think, is this a worthwhile law? Will it get ignored? Should it even be a law at all? Are we restricting smokers too much? We’d love to hear your opinion.

Source: Yahoo

Photo courtesy of joka2000.

By Becky Scott
Contributing Editor