The New Jersey State Senate is moving to make smoking in a car illegal.
While it already is against the law to smoke in most public places in the Garden State, the Senate bill would make it illegal to smoke in the car while anyone under the age of 17 is in the vehicle.
One of the lawmakers behind the new anti-smoking law, State Assemblyman Charles Mainor, told Fox 29 that he co-sponsored the bill to protect his children from secondhand smoke and the health risks that come with it.
New Jersey residents have raised concerns that the government is overstepping its authority in trying to control the behavior of adults. “As much as I loathe smoking, the govt should butt out,” said a commenter to Fox 29 named Sue. Several others agreed.
Several other states have tried to prevent adults from smoking in cars with minors present.
Last month, Connecticut moved on a bill to prevent adults from smoking in cars with minors. Other states that have tried include Arizona, Illinois and Nevada, to name a few. Seven states — Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Maine, Oregon, Utah and Vermont — have passed bills banning smoking with minors present.
The New Jersey bill, if passed by the state legislature, will be considered a secondary offense and would result in a $100 ticket. A similar bill was introduced before but failed. However, this time advocates may have enough support.
