If you are driving with a minor(未成年人),lighting up could get expensive.About six states have already banned smoking in cars with kids.And Washington may be next.
House Bill 2086is trying to ban anyone from lighting a cigarette,a cigar or pipe while parking or driving if there is someone under 18in the vehicle.
"Harmful chemicals that are coming out of someone smoking in a car are the same as a firefighter fighting a forest fire for four to eight hours,"said state Representative Steve Bergquist.
Supporters of the bill say they want to protect the quarter-million Washington kids who live with smokers."Research shows that kids of smokers are twice as likely to become smokers themselves.I am one of those children,"said Meagan Darrow,director of the Lacey-based TOGETHER,a positive youth development advocacy group."We also know it's an asthma(哮喘) trigger; 10percent of our kids in our state have asthma."
However,some lawmakers say the smoking ban would overburden law enforcement(执行)."I don't know how we can expect them to stop everyone who is smoking a cigarette to see if there is a child in the car,"State Representative Norm Johnson,R-Yakima,said.
The fine would be﹩125for the first offense,and additional violations could be double.It would not show up on a driver's record or be reported to an insurance company but some say the government is still going too far.
If it is passed,that means a police officer could simply pull someone over if they see someone smoking and they think a minor is in the car.
"When I see someone smoking with a kid in the car,I feel bad for the kids.But,on the other hand,it's one of those issues,"Thurston County resident Debra Defreyn said."That's like coming to my house to tell me I can't do something in my house."
32.House Bill 2086is intended to___.
A.ban smoking in public places
B.reduce the n