Friday, 12 October 2007 01:22
New Law Outlaws Smoking in Cars with Kids
Governor Schwartzenegger has signed into law a
measure that outlaws smoking in cars with kids. In a move that makes California
the third state in the nation to ban smoking in cars with minors,
Schwarzenegger signed into law Senate Bill 7 introduced by State Senator Jenny
Oropeza, Democrat -Long Beach, said. Health experts have testified that recent
scientific studies, including a 2006 report by the Harvard School of Public
Health, found that second-hand smoke in a car can be up to 10 times more
dangerous than in a home. Starting Jan. 1, 2008, the new law imposes a $100
fine on drivers and passengers cited for smoking in a car with another person
aged 17 or younger.
But for the second year in
a row, Schwarzenegger vetoed legislation that would require car seats for
children up to 8 years old, saying it is more important to educate parents on
the need for safety than impose another law. According to the San Francisco
Chronicle, The car-seat requirement, proposed this year by Assemblyman Gene
Mullin, D-South San Francisco, was prompted by a National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration study that showed children ages 4 to 8 who use booster
seats were 59 percent less likely to be injured in an accident. Current law
requires children to use booster seats until they're 6 years old or weigh 60
pounds or more.
