Make smoking in vehicles with children ILLEGAL!
If it is illegal for children under 18 to smoke then it should be ILLEGAL for parents to smoke around their children in closed spaces such as vehicles. It is no different than giving a child a sip of alcohol. Second hand smoke is just as deadly, if not worse!
We the undersigned believe it should be illegal to smoke with underage children in vehicles!
Tobacco smoke contains thousands of different chemicals that are released into the air as particles and gases. The particulate phase of cigarette smoke includes nicotine, "tar" (itself composed of many chemicals), benzene and benzo(a)pyrene. The gas phase includes carbon monoxide, ammonia, dimethylnitrosamine, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide and acrolein.
Asthma Exacerbation in Children -- 400,000
Acute Lower Respiratory Illness (Children < 18 mo.) -- 150,000
More than 5 million children alive today will die prematurely from smoking-related illnesses.
U.S. Surgeon General %u2013
Exposure to Tobacco Smoke, the Surgeon General concluded that:
- Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and more severe asthma. Smoking by parents causes respiratory symptoms and slows lung growth in their children.
This is no different than handing a child a cigarette! Please, help us protect our children!
Thank you for taking your time to read our plea.
signersigner