Car Smoke Ban

August 19, 2007 - 7:30 AM by Stephanie

Yesterday while lazing in a Tel Aviv park I watched in wonder as a mom cradled her toddler in one hand and dragged off of her cigarette with the other. She exhaled generous plumes of smoke without shame or embarrassment. Awareness and public shame surrounding smoking around children hasn’t yet achieved the heights in Israel that is has in other countries, like the U.S.

This week in New York, you can count on controversy when Queens City Council member/chairman of the council’s Environmental Protection Committee, James Gennaro, introduces a new smoking bill.

The bill calls for a ban on city smoking inside cars if minors (under 18) are present. No lighting up if a kid’s in the car.

“I am just seeking every opportunity I can to denormalize smoking and to try to put it out of the reach of kids,” Mr. Gennaro told New York press. “I’ve lost family members to lung cancer and I’ve seen what happens.”

There’s already been an uproar over the proposed bill because if enacted, it would pad an ever-expanding list of city don’t's: smoking in bars and restaurants, making too much noise at night, serving trans fats in restaurants, and allowing students to carry cell phones in school.

Mayor Bloomberg favors the law but admitted it might be tough to enforce. “We do have a responsibility to provide a health environment for our children and I would just urge anybody, if you have children at home, don’t smoke at home, don’t smoke in your car with your child; you really are damaging your child’s health.”

I think it’s a good thing; Infants, toddlers, kids and teens often can’t speak up for themselves or feel uncomfortable doing so.

As an elementary school kid I squirmed in discomfort each morning as the father responsible for the morning “to school” transport lit up. My brother and I would roll our eyes and make gagging motions at each other in the backseat as tears sprang to our eyes from the suffocating effect of a smoke filled car. Years later we still joke: “Remember how Rabbi X used to smoke on the way to school? UGH!!”

It’s not funny and it certainly wasn’t then. I’m hoping the law is enacted in New York and I also hope Israel will QUICKLY catch up with New York, San Francisco, London and other smoke-ban locales. There are (sometimes enforced) smoking restrictive laws already in place in Israel but there’s a way to go.

Share with others