Would You Be In Favor Of The Proposed NJ Smoking Ban In Phoenixville?

BY JUSTIN HEINZE AND TOM DAVIS

Could it happen in Pennsylvania?

New Jersey State Sen. Joseph Vitale, the chairman of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, has introduced a bill that, if passed, would impose a $100 fine on anybody caught smoking in a car with a child, according to the proposed legislation.

“Driving is privilege, it’s not a right,” the Middlesex County legislator said, as reported by nj.com. “Just like we have to obey the rules of the road in a manner that is safe, smoking in a car when a child is present is dangerous and should not be permitted.”

The New Jersey bill, S2883, which is also sponsored by Assemblyman Charles Mainor D-Hudson, would apply only to drivers suspected of committing a moving violation, according to the legislation.

Vitale said he expects some smokers may get upset and call this a government intrusion, saying: “They will argue my car is no different than my home, but cars are different, I think,” according to nj.com.

Pennsylvania already has a “Clean Air Indoor Act,” passed in 2008, which prohibits smoking in public places. The law’s exceptions include private residences, but lawmakers could argue that a car, especially with windows rolled down, is a public place.

State legislation to ban the practice in New Jersey was first proposed in 2007 and has resurfaced several times, but has failed to gain support, according to the report.