StoneMtn Posted November 20, 2007 Report Share Posted November 20, 2007 Tuesday » November 20 » 2007 N.S. town first to ban smoking in cars with kidsCanWest News Service Tuesday, November 20, 2007WOLFVILLE, N.S. - Starting next June, if you're in a car in Wolfville with a child and you light up, you're in trouble.This small Nova Scotia town of 3,600 made history Monday night when it became the first in the country to ban smoking in vehicles if there's a child on board.The town council voted unanimously in favour of the bylaw (7-0). The vote was greeted by a round of applause from the gallery.There are places in the United States that have similar laws -- California, for instance, passed its own law in October -- but it will be a first for Canada."What we would really like to do here is use this as a bit of a flag for provincial governments to enact legislation on a province-wide basis," said Mayor Bob Stead. "We know nationally there are a lot of people looking at what Wolfville does in this instance."The law will come into effect next June.Local RCMP will be responsible for enforcing it, though the town says it will try to educate people about the bylaw before it starts handing out tickets.A first-time offender would get a warning, but if caught again will face a fine of between $50 and $200.The bylaw falls under a section of the Municipal Government Act that states: "A council may make bylaws, for municipal purposes, respecting the health, well-being, safety and protection of persons; persons and activities in public places and places open to the public; and nuisances, including odours and fumes."But stamping it out across Canada might not be easy. Civil libertarians are already saying governments have no business ordering people not to smoke in the privacy of their own vehicles.© CanWest News Service 2007 Link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basher Posted November 20, 2007 Report Share Posted November 20, 2007 I think this is a great law. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bokonon Posted November 20, 2007 Report Share Posted November 20, 2007 As a smoker, I still think this is a valuable law. When I was a kid I hated being in the car with smokers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Im going home Donny Posted November 20, 2007 Report Share Posted November 20, 2007 oh pewf...you had me panicking...so long as I can still smoke crack in the car with my kid I'm in favour of this new law spreading. What's a little crack gunna hurt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freak By Night Posted November 20, 2007 Report Share Posted November 20, 2007 ....RCMP will be responsible for enforcing it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted November 20, 2007 Report Share Posted November 20, 2007 *watches our liberties erode*For the record, I would never put my child in this position but I think it should be my responsibility as a hypothetical parent. I'd prefer an education campaign for something like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Im going home Donny Posted November 20, 2007 Report Share Posted November 20, 2007 I sure hope it's only an educational programm put in place when everyone starts harping about smoking crack in the car with kids. It mostly goes out the window yo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayr Posted November 20, 2007 Report Share Posted November 20, 2007 (edited) as a smoker and a parent i am in 100% aggreement with this law. there should be no question in anyones mind that smoking in a small contained area with a child is mental. if you cant go a few minutes without a smoke, or stop and get out rather than blow a bunch of toxins in your childs face than you should be bitch slapped.(this might hit a nerve with people) although it would be very hard to enforce, in my opinion smoking inside anywhere where there are children present should be on the way out as well.did i mention i'm a smoker...... Edited November 20, 2007 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bokonon Posted November 20, 2007 Report Share Posted November 20, 2007 Even when I'm in the car by myself the window's fully down and if it's not raining the sunroof is open....and the Dixie Chicks are cranked! Nothing like hearing Not Ready to Make Nice through 3 amps and 2 12's! God, I love my demo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skelter Posted November 20, 2007 Report Share Posted November 20, 2007 (edited) $200 isn't nearly enough. If I were dictator of Canada, they'd be drawn and quartered on site, no trial. Edited November 20, 2007 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggest Fan Posted November 20, 2007 Report Share Posted November 20, 2007 I thought that was already a law in the great 'protectionist' state of California. I am not a smoker and I think it is another case of the govt. doing the easy thing but really stepping way out side of their realm. All houses should have pets... Studies have shown families with... have children with a lot less alergies. How about outlawing living in cities we know how unhealthy they are. Kids growing up in cities have far higher rates of breathing problems. In the state I live in 'bikers' do not have to wear helmets but I have to wear my seatbelt. I want the police doing their jobs not worrying about my personal 'life choices'. I'll STOP, I'm SORRY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted November 20, 2007 Report Share Posted November 20, 2007 I think it's just as bad to let your kid get obese. Want to slap a fine on those parents? Or parents who yell at their kids in public? There's lots of money to be made off state-run parenting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggest Fan Posted November 21, 2007 Report Share Posted November 21, 2007 ollie you beat me to it... I know I said I would stop but.... How about we outlawing Happy Meals/taking your kids to McDs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bagochips Posted November 21, 2007 Report Share Posted November 21, 2007 This looks like a job for the Central Scrutinizer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bokonon Posted November 21, 2007 Report Share Posted November 21, 2007 ollie you beat me to it... I know I said I would stop but.... How about we outlawing Happy Meals/taking your kids to McDs. I had the McDonald's Turkey BLT today, it was fucking awesome! Then me and my kids went to the Rez and bought a carton, we're halfway through it already! Little fuckers sure like to smoke when we're drinking all that Jack! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggest Fan Posted November 21, 2007 Report Share Posted November 21, 2007 Remember 'bokonon' if your with your kids... don't smoke crack and drive.CHEERS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davey Boy 2.0 Posted November 21, 2007 Report Share Posted November 21, 2007 just as bad to let your kid get obeseIt may or may not be "just as bad", but there's a huge difference (npi) at the same time.trapped in car with carcinogens swirling around you vs. finishing or not finishing your happy meal and choosing your own level of activity. let's not forget that there are other factors in obesity– genetic, psychological, environmental etc;this law is much more cut and dry. you smoke in a car with your kids in it and that's awful. i think the amount of the fine is secondary to having to pay it int he first place, i'm sure the shame from getting nabbed would be enough to make most people have a look in the mirror Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davey Boy 2.0 Posted November 21, 2007 Report Share Posted November 21, 2007 scratch that, i would hope that the shame from getting nabbed would be enough to make most people have a look in the mirror Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted November 21, 2007 Report Share Posted November 21, 2007 trapped in car with carcinogens swirling around you vs. finishing or not finishing your happy meal and choosing your own level of activity. let's not forget that there are other factors in obesity– genetic, psychological, environmental etc;Just as there are other factors involved in developing cancer. Smoking with your kid in the car isn't a 100% guarantee that it's going to happen either.I think smoking with your kid in the car is a really, really bad idea. I just don't think we need to legislate it as law, bylaw, whatever. Social pressure should be enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradm Posted November 21, 2007 Report Share Posted November 21, 2007 It'd be cool if the town could work together with, say, pharmacies, so that when you got nabbed for smoking in the car with your kids, your "warning" included a coupon for some percentage off stop-smoking aids; if you had to pay a ticket, the ticket itself would also be a coupon, for an even higher percentage off.Aloha,Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoneMtn Posted November 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2007 Good idea. In fact, then anyone looking to save money on Nicorettes could drive back and forth in front of a cop station with a car-load of kids and a cigarette burning. They'll eventually get awarded a coupon ... everybody wins! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradm Posted November 21, 2007 Report Share Posted November 21, 2007 Good idea. In fact, then anyone looking to save money on Nicorettes could drive back and forth in front of a cop station with a car-load of kids and a cigarette burning. They'll eventually get awarded a coupon ... everybody wins!Except that after the first ("warning") offense, they'd still have to pay the fine(s), which would be substantially more than the savings they'd get at the pharmacy.Aloha,Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradm Posted November 21, 2007 Report Share Posted November 21, 2007 a car-load of kids and a cigarette burningI wonder...shouldn't the amount of the fine be based on the number of children who are in the car while the smoking's going on? Maybe make the fine $50 for the first kid, then $25 for each additional kid.Aloha,Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AD Posted November 21, 2007 Report Share Posted November 21, 2007 why is the health of the second kid worth less?also, while I'm piping in, i think the coupon idea is pretty silly, but i can't tell if it's being offered up seriously or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted November 21, 2007 Report Share Posted November 21, 2007 a car-load of kids and a cigarette burningI wonder...shouldn't the amount of the fine be based on the number of children who are in the car while the smoking's going on? Maybe make the fine $50 for the first kid' date=' then $25 for each additional kid.[/quote']And add on a 15% surcharge if the parent is smoking Export A Green Death. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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