Smoking with kids in the car

[GirlySports]

remember when smoking was hot? it wasn't that long ago.

[puckluck2]

Originally Posted by Nage Waza

You just called a guy ignorant because he thinks smoking in a car is more harmful to a child than smoking in a house? They are both bad, but certainly smoking in a confined space where a child has no other option but to breath the air in my opinion is worse. So I too agree, the car would be more harmful.

You just joined this site a few days ago? Good luck.

I didn't call him ignorant cause he thinks smoking in a car is more harmful than smoking in a house filled with kids. I called him ignorant because he seems to think smoking in a bed room is somehow safe when in fact it can be just as harmful as smoking in a car with your kids. Cancer is all about chance. If you get exposed to second hand smoke no matter how minuscule, you still are at risk. That is why smoking in a house with children should also be illegal.

[Zevo]

Originally Posted by Iginla

I didn't call him ignorant cause he thinks smoking in a car is more harmful than smoking in a house filled with kids. I called him ignorant because he seems to think smoking in a bed room is somehow safe when in fact it can be just as harmful as smoking in a car with your kids. Cancer is all about chance. If you get exposed to second hand smoke no matter how minuscule, you still are at risk. That is why smoking in a house with children should also be illegal.

Where exactly did I say I think that it is safe smoking in a bedroom?

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by JonDuke

I see the dbags across the street from me smoking in the car, while driving all the time with kids. 2 kids, both appear under 4. I know there's a new law that prohibits this, but what can be done about this? Do I have to pray that the cops just miraculously see them and give them the fine, do/can you tip them off, or can you call child services for something like this?
Other than the obvious kick to the face, what are my options here?

Ah yes, the memories of childhood in an era when 70% of Canadian adults smoked, including my mother with roll-your-owns from a tin of Vogue tobacco, rolled up windows in the car and a harsh "get used to it!!!" and a slap if you complained.

Cowperson

[NBC]

Smokers are jokers

[FlamingLonghorn]

So is it against the law even if the windows are open?

[metallicat]

If you smoke cigarettes in a car/house/whatever when your kids are around, you're an idiot. If you want to deliberately give yourself cancer, fine. But do cause harm to your kids while driving them to school or wherever you're going, is in my opinion, idiotic.

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by Bonded

And in this thread...
Over-protective and snoopy neighbours.

I know I will take flak for this, but if it really bothers try to wave them down and explain the law.

Seriously, it is not like they are driving recklessly with their children strapped on the roof. I can't wait until I see obese parents overfeeding their kids and then take video and submit to CPS and people give me a thumbs-up.

Seriously, I think smokers get way too much flack and I am not even one. While, this is not an ideal thing, I don't think CPS needs to be called.

I get your point, but maybe we need to have laws like this to protect kids, who are usually unable to speak successfully for themselves on this. I agree that maybe it's inappropriate to call the cops, but this is very harmful to the kids who are forced to breathe this second-hand smoke crap.

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

remember when smoking was hot? it wasn't that long ago.

I don't think smoking was ever cool. It's always been stupid; it's just that many people didn't realize it.

[Bindair Dundat]

To the OP:

While I agree that these people are displaying a very selfish attitude by their actions, the whole idea of denouncing your neighbour to the authorities smells just a little too much like Nazi Germany, at least in my opinion.

Where do we draw the line here?

Yeah, yeah..."Report an impaired driver"? Agreed. Phone in on a Grow-op? Sure. Your neighbor's beating the crap out of his old lady? By all means...

But this?

God knows that the already overtaxed policing resources can be spent on far better things.

Eventually one day your "d-bags" will pull up at a red light (with their mini van full of car seats and carcinogens) and a cop with some spare time on his hands will pull up beside them, look over, and will sort them out.

My two bits.

[Rathji]

Ignoring a problem of child safety, simply because it uses resources of the system, in the hopes that later on someone else will catch it seems pretty pointless. If your assertion is they will get caught anyway, how is it saving any time/money/resources of the policing agency?

Call it in. Either the Police or Child Services, either way and entry will end up in the Child Services system because CPS automatically forwards all cases of potential child endangerment to them. Your name will never end up being released for any reason during this procedure.

Chances are nothing immediate will be done about it because lets face it, it takes time and resources and they need to prioritize, but it will be put on file as a complaint. If there are enough complaints then a worker will be sent out to investigate and make a call given the results of that investigation. I would wager a guess that unless there are other obvious problem of neglect or abuse, they get a warning, maybe a evening course to attend, and the worker will come back and check on them a few times.

[goaliegirl]

I thought the law had not been put into effect yet? If it has by all means call the cops if you see it, so they can get a ticket. If it has not there is nothing you, the cops or CPS can do, as it is not illegal.
I would think that CPS would do nothing, even if it was illegal, because the punishment for doing so is monetary. That is like calling CPS for someone speeding with kids in the car.

[sun]

Slightly OT, but apparently my cousin's wife smoked while pregnant. Best (worst) part is they had a very hard time getting pregnant and she sufferd a few miscarriages in the process. I don't know if smoking contributes to that kind of thing, but I'm sure it doesn't help. Pretty pathetic and despicable act.

[JonDuke]

Impaired driver, beating up an old lady...yes, I would call those in in a heart beat, but probably not the grow op. Unless there were kids there too.

I consider myself fairly easy going. Was never a fan of ratting anyone out. I don't care that they are breaking the law. I care that they have kids in the car, windows down or not, and are smoking. That's just not cool for the kids, who have no say in the matter.

I'm not here to bash smokers at all either. I smoke. My dad smoked in the car when we were in it. No ill effects that I know of, yet. I don't smoke in my car or house whether my own kids are in it or not. It's just common sense, or at least it should be.

The grown up side of me says this is wrong. The young punk in me wants to get ignorant and confront them, but that could turn ugly and I have moved on from those days. I just know something needs to be done and am looking for advice on options on what to do.

Side note...I did not realize the legislation was not yet in effect. I thought it was already implemented, so perhaps talking to them is the only way to go.

Thanks for the advice

[FlamingLonghorn]

So does 2nd hand smoke in a car with the windows down have a greater or lesser chance of causing cancer than say feeding your kids meat with hormones in it? I just think you cross a line when you start legislating this kind of crap. Same with Bloomberg in NYC with his large soda laws. Where is the line? I am not a smoker, I won't date a girl who smokes as I think it is disgusting, however this type of Nanny state crap is terrible in my view.

[Knalus]

Just a guess. If you call the cops, nothing will happen.

If the cops DO show up, the neighbour will know someone called the cops. I mean, he or she is at home, right? Not the normal place for a cop to be cruising, right? I'm gonna guess it will be easy for him or her to figure out who it was that called the cops. He or she will get a fine perhaps, perhaps the person will or will not stop smoking in their car. Maybe.

But they will know that one of their neighbours is a punk little tattletale who was responsible for them getting a ticket. A tattletale who is likely afraid of confrontation, or they would have said something to their face. Someone who hides behind the Law instead of talking to their neighbour about behaviour that bothers them.

You call the cops. You'll likely get that confrontation you aren't looking for.

[metallicat]

I think if any adult wants to ingest something into their own body that is known to cause cancer, fine. Do it on your own time and away from me. I don't like it when helpless kids are subjected to the same punishment that adults willfully inflict upon themselves. I don't necessarily think legislation or laws are the answer all the time, but maybe need to realize they are harming their kids.

[metallicat]

Originally Posted by Knalus

Just a guess. If you call the cops, nothing will happen.

If the cops DO show up, the neighbour will know someone called the cops. I mean, he or she is at home, right? Not the normal place for a cop to be cruising, right? I'm gonna guess it will be easy for him or her to figure out who it was that called the cops. He or she will get a fine perhaps, perhaps the person will or will not stop smoking in their car. Maybe.

But they will know that one of their neighbours is a punk little tattletale who was responsible for them getting a ticket. A tattletale who is likely afraid of confrontation, or they would have said something to their face. Someone who hides behind the Law instead of talking to their neighbour about behaviour that bothers them.

You call the cops. You'll likely get that confrontation you aren't looking for.

What's the neighbor going to do? Kick the asses of all his neighbors on the off chance they are the "tattletales"?

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by Sowa

So does 2nd hand smoke in a car with the windows down have a greater or lesser chance of causing cancer than say feeding your kids meat with hormones in it? I just think you cross a line when you start legislating this kind of crap. Same with Bloomberg in NYC with his large soda laws. Where is the line? I am not a smoker, I won't date a girl who smokes as I think it is disgusting, however this type of Nanny state crap is terrible in my view.

You can't legislate against things which are considered dangerous when used in the manner they are intended? What the hell can you legislate on then?

There are, and always will be, laws about the circumstances you are allowed to smoke under. This is no different than having non-smoking sections in restaurants, except the difference here is the kid in the car doesn't have the ability to say he wants to sit in the non-smoking section.

Children are a vulnerable sector of society, so they need additional laws to keep them safe.

[Knalus]

Originally Posted by oilers_fan

What's the neighbor going to do? Kick the asses of all his neighbors on the off chance they are the "tattletales"?

I had a neighbour call the fire department for a backyard fire that got smokey once. I wasn't in the wrong, and the fire department left.

I knew exactly which neighbour it was that called the cops. I went to his house to figure out if there was an issue, and to tell him if he ever had an issue again, that it would be better to just talk to me.

People tend to know many of their neighbours. Guessing who called the cops generally isn't hard.

And there are MANY things that can be done to get back at a bad neighbour without actually kicking their ass. Think about it.