Drivers caught smoking with a child in their vehicle could be subject to a $100 fine if a bill introduced Tuesday by Council Member Marion Barry, D-Ward 8, is approved.
In the wake of the District’s smoking ban, which took effect Jan. 2, Barry said Tuesday he is attempting with the legislation to protect minors from secondhand cigarette smoke.
Similar bills have been enacted in Maine and Arkansas, Barry said.
The bill would allow law enforcement officers to stop a vehicle when they have “a clear and unobstructed view of the violation,” according to the legislation.
Under the bill, smokers who are stopped while driving with children in the car can have their fee waived if they attend a smoking-cessation program.
“This legislation is not meant to be prohibitive,” Barry said. “It’s very sensitive to people’s rights to smoke — but not around other people.”
