Smoking With a Child in the Car Illegal?

If one Senator has his way, it will be illegal to smoke in a vehicle that has a child in it.

State Senator Joseph Vitale, who is also 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 anyone caught smoking in a car with a child under 17.

Reported by nj.com, the Senator said "driving is a privilege, it's not a right." He went on to say obeying "the rules of the road" and driving safely applies to the inside of the vehicle, as smoking with a child in the car is dangerous.

The fine would only apply to those who are smoking with a child present during a moving violation.

Sen. Vitale says the car is no different than the home, but I disagree. I feel smoking near a child, or adult for that matter, is bad for their health. However, government should not be able to prohibit smoking in a vehicle regardless of the age of the passenger.