Michigan wants you not to smoke with kids in the car

[Kazoo65]

The Michigan legislature is considering a bill that would impose a $500 fine on anybody caught with a lit cigarette in a car with kids in it.

I think this might encourage more parents who smoke to think before lighting up while driving. It might also encourage them to quit this deadly habit altogether.

[SportsFan68]

I think this is a great health and safety idea and congratulate Michigan as they consider joining other states who have already taken this step.

[SpacemanSpiff]

I can honestly saw I never smoked in the car with my kids.

But there have been a few times I lit into flames....

[silvercamaro]

I just like to drive without kids in the car.

[Beebs52]

I know someone who had an accident while scrambling for a soft drink. Fortunately no one was killed.

[silvercamaro]

Since I wrote that, I had to go take the gentleman greyhound for a walk, and I had more time to think about this topic.

I decided this is one of those pretend "We must do this for the children!" bills that politicians seem to love. It's actually a problem of decreasing proportions as time passes. Virtually all American cars (at least family-type vehicles -- not sure about trucks or imports) have been manufactured for several years without ashtrays or any good place to install one. As older cars are retired from use, fewer people will light up in their vehicles, with or without children on board. While I realize that a determined would-be driver/smoker could always stick a soft drink can or a cup with some liquid into a drink holder to catch ashes, I have never seen anybody do that as a matter of common practice. If a driving smoker throws ashes, a lighted cigarette, or even an extinguished cigarette butt out the window, I would like to see him or her socked with a $1,000 fine.

If we want to do something useful "for the children," let's use the $500 fine on drivers accompanied by children who go through the drive-through windows at McDonalds, Wendy's, Taco Bell, etc. I believe that regular intake of fast food is a greater threat to children's health than occasional exposure to second-hand smoke.

I like fast food from time to time, mind you, but I'm neither a child nor a likely prospect for obesity.

[Beebs52]

Rec

[Beebs52]

And to add to my rec, I haven't smoked in a car or a house in decades. Can we have a big bro shoutout for another thing that helps .0000000000001 percent of the population?

[Beebs52]

By that percentage I' m referring to the smokers in the cars with kids, not the number of children.

[jarnon]

By that percentage I' m referring to the smokers in the cars with kids, not the number of children.

I also thought the number is very low. But this study, published in Pediatrics in 2012, shows otherwise:
Parents Smoking in Their Cars With Children Present
Even with a big margin of error, the number is higher than we thought. And this story was in the news today:
Death toll from smoking goes way beyond lung cancer, study says

[Beebs52]

That sample size was small. Wha? And we know the dangers of smoking in general. Was there something new there?

[Beebs52]

Might as well get all the gummint stuff out of the way.
Firstly, most people don't smoke in the car with kids.
What's your body mass index/kids' bodymass index/salt intake/water intake/veggie intake/sleep quality/booksread by you/baths weekly or daily/red dye exposure/allergy exposure, walking two blocks by themselves ad fucking infinitum?

Bring some more regs please.
Sarcafont.

[Beebs52]

One more thing before we get ready for a tropical storm:

Many people who think themselves experts on child welfare have never had nor cared for a child. Peeps my age and younger know what to do or not to. There is no reason, except for the most at risk segments, to put the govt in charge.

[Estonut]

...While I realize that a determined would-be driver/smoker could always stick a soft drink can or a cup with some liquid into a drink holder to catch ashes, I have never seen anybody do that as a matter of common practice....

Some of my high school buddies thought it was cool to chew tobacco, in addition to smoking it, too. One guy, the biggest drunk, always had an empty beer bottle, which he used as a spittoon. One time, we were driving somewhere and he had one bottle for his chew and the other was a fresh beer. Yup, he mixed them up and took a huge swill out of the wrong bottle. He couldn't roll down his window fast enough and vomited all over his window and door. I don't remember seeing him chew in the car again.

[Bob Juch]

One more thing before we get ready for a tropical storm:

Many people who think themselves experts on child welfare have never had nor cared for a child. Peeps my age and younger know what to do or not to. There is no reason, except for the most at risk segments, to put the govt in charge.

Well why not? Look at all the Republican congressmen, governors, and state reps who think they know all about women's uteruses.

[Bob Juch]

...While I realize that a determined would-be driver/smoker could always stick a soft drink can or a cup with some liquid into a drink holder to catch ashes, I have never seen anybody do that as a matter of common practice....

Some of my high school buddies thought it was cool to chew tobacco, in addition to smoking it, too. One guy, the biggest drunk, always had an empty beer bottle, which he used as a spittoon. One time, we were driving somewhere and he had one bottle for his chew and the other was a fresh beer. Yup, he mixed them up and took a huge swill out of the wrong bottle. He couldn't roll down his window fast enough and vomited all over his window and door. I don't remember seeing him chew in the car again.

I had a girlfriend who took a swig out of her past boyfriend's spit bottle. She then always insisted on pouring a bottle of beer into a glass.

[Beebs52]

One more thing before we get ready for a tropical storm:

Many people who think themselves experts on child welfare have never had nor cared for a child. Peeps my age and younger know what to do or not to. There is no reason, except for the most at risk segments, to put the govt in charge.

Well why not? Look at all the Republican congressmen, governors, and state reps who think they know all about women's uteruses.

Which has nothing to do with the discussion. And you're an expert on them because?

[Bob78164]

One more thing before we get ready for a tropical storm:

Many people who think themselves experts on child welfare have never had nor cared for a child. Peeps my age and younger know what to do or not to. There is no reason, except for the most at risk segments, to put the govt in charge.

Well why not? Look at all the Republican congressmen, governors, and state reps who think they know all about women's uteruses.

Which has nothing to do with the discussion. And you're an expert on them because?

Sure it does. A lot of Republicans are all for individual freedom right up until the moment we start talking about a woman's right to control her own body and medical treatment. --Bob

[Jeemie]

Since I wrote that, I had to go take the gentleman greyhound for a walk, and I had more time to think about this topic.

I decided this is one of those pretend "We must do this for the children!" bills that politicians seem to love. It's actually a problem of decreasing proportions as time passes. Virtually all American cars (at least family-type vehicles -- not sure about trucks or imports) have been manufactured for several years without ashtrays or any good place to install one. As older cars are retired from use, fewer people will light up in their vehicles, with or without children on board. While I realize that a determined would-be driver/smoker could always stick a soft drink can or a cup with some liquid into a drink holder to catch ashes, I have never seen anybody do that as a matter of common practice. If a driving smoker throws ashes, a lighted cigarette, or even an extinguished cigarette butt out the window, I would like to see him or her socked with a $1,000 fine.

If we want to do something useful "for the children," let's use the $500 fine on drivers accompanied by children who go through the drive-through windows at McDonalds, Wendy's, Taco Bell, etc. I believe that regular intake of fast food is a greater threat to children's health than occasional exposure to second-hand smoke.

I like fast food from time to time, mind you, but I'm neither a child nor a likely prospect for obesity.

Smokers still smoke in their cars- they just do exactly what you said- they flick their ashes out the window, and then throw the butt out the window when done.

That wouldn't bother me so much except for the non-biodegradable filter that's in the cigarette (and the filter doesn't really do a damn bit of good- the invention of filtered cigarettes was actually something that made the whole habit even worse, IMO. the filter really does nothing to mitigate the damage to the smoker, and now adds another element of non-biodegradable junk to our world).

[BackInTex]

A lot of Republicans are all for individual freedom right up until the moment we start talking about a woman's right to control her own body and medical treatment. --Bob

Typical ignorant liberal hogwash. It is not about the woman. It is about what you and your liberal minions think is a parasite living in the woman's body. The liberal left loves to play the more intelligent than thou role when bringing science into a religious discussion, but they play the uneducated morons when it comes to reproductive biology.

[flockofseagulls104]

I say we impose fines on people who propose banning and fining things they don't like.

Uh oh. How much do I have to pay?

[Bob Juch]

A lot of Republicans are all for individual freedom right up until the moment we start talking about a woman's right to control her own body and medical treatment. --Bob

Typical ignorant liberal hogwash. It is not about the woman. It is about what you and your liberal minions think is a parasite living in the woman's body. The liberal left loves to play the more intelligent than thou role when bringing science into a religious discussion, but they play the uneducated morons when it comes to reproductive biology.

“If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways of shutting that whole thing down.” -- Missouri Senate Candidate Todd Akin

I don't have time to type the twenty or so other idiots' quotes.

[littlebeast13]

I say we impose fines on people who propose banning and fining things they don't like.

Uh oh. How much do I have to pay?

This sounds like an excellent idea. I could retire just on the fines I collect for the "Bored treasury" from the political threads...

lb13

[flockofseagulls104]

According to this study, there's no specific link they can find between second hand smoke and cancer. Suppose it is true. Would that change anything?

http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/ ... jt365.full

[BackInTex]

I don't have time to type the twenty or so other idiots' quotes.

Here, let me help you.