Secondhand Smoking in Cars

Children are sensitive to even small amounts of secondhand smoke - their lungs are small and still developing. Smoking in cars and other confined spaces is dangerous for anyone present, especially children. Breathing the particles and chemicals in secondhand smoke can lead to respiratory and ear infections, asthma attacks, bronchitis, and eventually to heart disease.

Other states and cities prohibit smoking in cars with children present, but our state does not.

The Tobacco Free Alliance of Pierce County, a coalition of community members active for over ten years, is working on state legislation to make smoking in cars with children a secondary traffic violation - someone can only be ticketed if they are pulled over for another traffic violation.

Would like to help the Tobacco Free Alliance of Pierce County? Please join us on the first Friday of every month at Allenmore Hospital Tacoma. For more information, please contact Bruce Rytkonen at (253) 798-3492 or brytkonen@tpchd.org.

Pierce County Sheriff's Report, July 2010 - Secondhand Smoking in Cars on Pierce County TV.  The segment on smoking in cars begins at about the 11 minute mark in the video.