Advertisement

Smoking ban in cars proposed for New York

NEW YORK, Aug. 15 (UPI) -- A member of the New York City Council is pushing to ban smoking inside cars within the city limits when people under age 18 are present.

Councilman James Gennaro, a Democrat, said he wants smokers who light up with children in the car to pay fines of about $200, The New York Post reported Wednesday.

Advertisement

"We want to continue to fight to de-normalize smoking," Gennaro said Tuesday. "Cigarette smoke has over 4,000 chemicals in it, and 150 of them are known to be poisonous."

Gennaro serves as chairman of the council's Environmental Protection Committee. He said he too often sees smokers ignoring the health of their passengers by lighting cigarettes.

"Kids shouldn't be around smoking, period, but in cars it's particularly egregious," he said. "This provides an opportunity to give kids a break when they are in the car."

Latest Headlines