FULL ARTICLE: Assemblyman David Weprin pushes to ban smoking in cars with kids
Lighting up with a kid in the car could soon cost you $100.Assemblyman David Weprin said Sunday he'll push for new legislation that bans adults from smoking in cars carrying children younger than 14.
"A child under the age of 14 is less likely to speak up," said Weprin, a Queens Democrat.
The ban would apply even in cars where the windows are rolled down. The goal is to reduce the amount of secondhand smoke that children breathe, Weprin said.
"Not smoking in a car is just as important as making sure children are in car seats and have seat belts on," said Dr. Warren Seigel of the American Academy of Pediatrics .
Four other states - Maine , Louisiana , Arkansas and California - already have passed similar legislation. Smoking is also outlawed in Rockland County in vehicles with passengers younger than 18, and Nassau County is mulling a similar ban.
The bill doesn't violate constitutional rights, Weprin said, and is similar to seat-belt laws and bans on texting while driving. If cops believe a driver is in violation, they can stop the vehicle and question the passengers' ages.