STOCKBRIDGE, Ga. (WSVN) — Drivers in one Georgia city can be fined if they are spotted smoking in their cars while children are inside.
Fox 30 reports that officials in Stockbridge, Ga. say they are the first city in their state to make the rule, in which drivers can be fined up to $500 if they are caught smoking in a vehicle in the presence of a child under the age of 15.
“I believe that’s an infringement on their lives when irresponsible parents or adults are smoking in cars with minors,” Councilman John Blount said.
The city attorney said it will be up to local police officers whether or not to enforce the new ordinance.
Blount said it would be handled much like how officers enforce seatbelts or texting and driving.
“If you see it being abused, you’ve got a smoke-filled car and a child is in the back seat, what’s the downside other than having a healthy child?” Blount said.
Several states have enacted similar laws, including California, Louisiana, Ohio, and Virginia. A bill to ban smoking in cars with children was introduced in the Florida Senate in 2015, but was never passed by legislators.
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