San Benito County smokers at the start of next year will have to
snuff out their cigarettes before getting into their cars with a
child.
Hollister – San Benito County smokers at the start of next year will have to snuff out their cigarettes before getting into their cars with a child.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation last week that prohibits smoking in cars carrying children 17 and under. The new law – Senate Bill 7 by Sen. Jenny Oropeza, D-Long Beach – is aimed at minimizing the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.
Nora Jimenez, health education associate for San Benito County’s Public Health Services, called the bill “very important” for the state and the county.
“We’re the adults – we’re the caretakers of the children. This is to basically give children a voice to say, ‘This isn’t healthy for me,'” Jimenez said.
The law, going into effect Jan. 1, will serve only as a secondary offense. That means drivers will not get pulled over for smoking but would face the additional charge if they’re cited for something else. Drivers or passengers will face a $100 fine for smoking if a child is in the vehicle.
County Deputy Director of Public Health Services Sam Perez said that smoking statistics are not broken down by county, so it’s difficult to know how many smokers there are locally. But she does see people smoking around children in Hollister, seemingly oblivious to the consequences.
“It’s hard to turn a blind eye when you’re driving down the street in winter and you see parents puffing away with a kid in the back seat. We can’t stand for that,” Perez said.
Jimenez understands the new law will be controversial. She said it’s more about secondary consequences, just like the law going into effect later the same year banning teens from talking on their cell phones or text messaging while driving.
Secondhand smoke is especially dangerous to young children, Jimenez said. It can worsen asthma, cause coughs and colds and even lead to sudden infant death syndrome in babies.
“In essence, anything we can do to protect a child is a good thing. If one child doesn’t develop asthma, it’s good,” Perez said.
In anticipation of the new law, Public Health Services is working to provide more options to help smokers quit, she said.
“A lot of laws are coming down the pipeline to stop smoking, but we need to make sure there are tools out there to help them stop. There isn’t a lot here in San Benito County,” she said.
The health agency will offer cessation training to programs and agencies interested in helping their clients or employees quit smoking. The training will take place November 30. Those interested should call Jimenez at 831-636-4011.
