If you thought there were already laws when it comes to smoking in a vehicle with children inside you're not alone. But, until January 2020 it was not illegal.

The law is confusing because police are not authorized to pull over a vehicle simply because an adult is smoking in their vehicle with a minor inside. Here's how the Chicago Sun-Times explains it:

Law enforcement officers are not allowed to issue tickets solely for violating the law, but they can issue tickets if they pull a vehicle over for some other violation. The law also does not apply if the person smoking is a minor who is the sole occupant of the vehicle.

Minors can be fined as well if they are smoking in a car occupied by other minors, and, vaping counts as smoking.

For purposes of the law, the word “smoke” means, “to inhale, exhale, burn or carry a lighted cigarette, cigar, pipe, weed, plant, regulated narcotic, or other combustible substance.” The word “vehicle” does not include motorcycles.

This should be common sense, don't subject children to the dangers of secondhand smoke.


JB Love is ½ of  Q98.5's Lil Zim & JB In The Morning, weekday mornings from 5:00 a.m. to 10 a.m. Follow him on TwitterInstagram.

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