Should You Smoke In Your Car

It is ironic that this topic is even being discussed. At this point in time (early 2009) it has been proposed in Minnesota to make it illegal to smoke in a vehicle while a child in present in the car.Having grown up in a smoking environment, it wasn’t always pleasant to inhale the smoke, but raised several decades ago, the parents were boss (only one smoked) and children were meant to be seen and not heard, we had no voice. However, this should be a parent’s choice not the government’s law.If one chooses to smoke, they will smoke wherever they are allowed or wish.Serving on active duty military for two decades, I have borne witness to circumstances whereby the only place you could smoke was in your vehicle and in some cases base regulations would prevent smoking there as well. Fuel storage bases (such as Craney Island, Virginia) prohibit smoking in your vehicle while transiting around the base (to prevent an idiot from carelessly tossing a lit butt into a ditch that may contain fuel).With additional Minnesota laws enacted that prohibits smoking on certain grounds, the only place smokers can go is to their vehicles.I watched my father die from lung cancer at the age of 73 several years ago. Within a few years of that I saw the passing of a beloved co-worker (heavy smoker until diagnosed) also from lung cancer. Yet, all of her friends were still smoking and many continue today, even after watching the devastation that these cancer sticks promise for most in their future.Perhaps the question shouldn’t be “should you smoke in your car?” but “should you smoke?”For smokers will smoke in their cars (and that is their right; a right which should not be governed by others) particularly when the list of places where smoking cannot occur continues to grow.There was even an attempt to prohibit renters from smoking in their apartments last year!Admittedly, I am a non-smoker, however I also see the taxes going up on a pack of cigarettes as local, state, and federal governments attempt to grab as much income as possible from smokers (drinkers and drivers as well) while slowly eroding the list of places where they are allowed to light up.Smoking in a car reduces the resell value of the car (especially if a non-smoker looks at purchasing). What many smokers may not realize because through the years of smoking their sense of smell is greatly reduced is that the car will retain the smell of smoke in the upholstery, carpet, and cloth door panels as well as in any installed cabin filters.It is easy to determine which cars carry smokers in traffic. The smoke by-products will stick to glass surfaces clouding the view through a car. Try it (if you don’t smoke or have just cleaned your windows if you do smoke). Try looking through the back window and windshield (as safety permits, stopped at traffic lights is best). If you can see clearly through, that is most likely a non-smoking car. If the view is clouded or blurred, most likely at least one person smokes regularly in that vehicle.Smoking in a car is a decision to be made by the car owner as is the decision to light up at all belongs to each of us. I only hope those who opt to smoke in their cars also opt to keep the burned butts inside their cars. It is disturbing to see how many harbor no qualms about tossing a used butt out the window when finished. If the butt is too dirty to retain in your car, why do you make it by smoking it? Smoke in your car if you wish, but retain all debris from this habit in your car to dispose of properly at your destination. Category:Home › Autos • Will the trend toward economy-size car models lead Americans back to buying smaller-sized cars? — part 2 • You should never use after-market auto parts when maintaining or fixing your car • Should a new car be rust-proofed? • Will the trend toward economy-size car models lead Americans back to buying smaller-sized cars? — part 1 • Five safest cars in North America • How to ensure your teen drives safely after getting a license • Pros and cons of using an hydrogen generator for your car • DIY automotive maintenance: How to change the oil