$1,000 fine proposed for smoking with kids in car

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Thursday, January 17, 2019
Drivers may face fines for smoking in car with kids
Two state senators also want a $10,000 fine if a driver is caught puffing cigarettes with the kids three times or more in 12 months.

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- Two Indiana lawmakers are pushing for a four-figure fine for drivers caught smoking in a car with a child inside.

The bill proposed by State Sens. Eddie Melton and Jim Merritt would make smoking in a car with a child under the age of six a crime.

Drivers caught puffing inside a vehicle with a young child would be ticketed with a $1,000 fine.

If you are caught three times in a year, the fine would go up to $10,000.

Nine states have smoke-free car laws, including:

  • Arkansas, with a child under the age of 14
  • California, with a child under the age of 18
  • Louisiana, with a child under the age of 13
  • Maine, with a child under the age of 16
  • Oregon, with a child under the age of 18
  • Puerto Rico, with a child under the age of 18
  • Utah, with a child under the age of 16
  • Vermont, with a child under the age of 9
  • Virginia, with a child under the age of 8