England and Wales smokers, beware!

[Semple]

The same way they prove somebody had no seatbelt on or was fiddling with a phone?

How do you prove someone was not wearing a seatbelt?

Surely a policeman's word isn't enough to prosecute. I assume the way they get away with it is an on the spot fine and hope the person just pays up. If he refuses and challenges it at court, the policemen says "i saw so-and-so driving without a seatbelt", and so-and-so says i was driving with a seatbelt.

Assuming that this policeman doesn't have a film crew with him filming one of the many police documentaries.

Back to the topic, i'm all for the ban, but can't see how it will get enforced. It's been almost 13 years since it was an offence to drive whilst using a mobile and yet people are still doing it.

 

[eatcustard]

Second hand smoke is a complete lie. Zero evidence that second hand smoke has any negative effect in a car.

I like your tin foil hat

 

[Terminal_Boy]

Why don't let anyone with a camera take a picture of the smoker, with a clear picture of them doing it along with the number plate. Then just message it across to the local police department. Then a £50 fine in the post, sorted.

The submitter should get 25% for their efforts.

 

[dowie]

It should be illegal to expose children to second hand smoke regardless of where it's happening

yup... should be illegal in homes too (despite being unlikely to be enforced in most cases)

 

[dowie]

I was thinking of something similar with mobile phones to aid enforcement. A pic of someone clear enough to identify the driver, the vehicle and that it's being driven would be plenty enough evidence.

should allow that for parking offences too tbh... clear picture of the vehicle with numberplate in the place it isn't supposed to be, making sure there is a clear pic of the front windscreen showing it doesn't have a permit

 

[Burnsy2023]

Surely a policeman's word isn't enough to prosecute. I assume the way they get away with it is an on the spot fine and hope the person just pays up. If he refuses and challenges it at court, the policemen says "i saw so-and-so driving without a seatbelt", and so-and-so says i was driving with a seatbelt.

Actually an officer's statement is likely to be enough to prosecute in E&W. It all hinges of the quality of the officer's statement but if he clearly saw it then magistrates will likely be happy with that.

Many officer now wear body worn video too but that's not required.

 

[McBain]

Very good news. I can't believe that there are still idiots out there that would damage a child's health by doing this.

I've had a smoking ban in my car for years. Last time someone lit up I threatened to crash the car, needless to say she threw the fag out of the window when I put my foot down.

Lighting up without asking the car owner first is just plain rude imo, I wouldn't be happy.

 

[platypus]

They don't just damage their health... when they are around other people. However if a person wants to smoke where it does not affect others, they should be free to do so.

I don't disagree, likewise smoking in their own home if they aren't going to inflict second hand smoke on anyone else. However in public places it's pretty hard not too, so I'm all for just a flat out ban.

Also tobacco products are taxed heavily, so I think the cost on the health service is negated.

Yeah and it does come out at a little profit even, but imagine if the health services weren't tied up with treating all those smokers? There is far more than just cost to take into account.

 

[Twirlywoos]

sale of ecigs to under 18's is also prohibited now. Great news.

 

[TommyV]

sale of ecigs to under 18's is also prohibited now. Great news.

Agreed.

Otherwise, I don't get why people would smoke with their kids in the car in the first place. Terribly unfair imposing that on them, it's upsetting that such a Law has had to be put in place to stop people doing it.

 

[ttaskmaster]

Seriously, do car windows not open any more, or something?

Children don't get that choice when stuck in a car/home. If parents won't care for their kids health, i'm all for someone else doing it...

You gonna apply that to everything, or is it just smoking that's got your focus?

Which is where vaping comes in, vast majority of devices are already illegal under the the new Tobacco Products Directive.

Which is insane.
It's not a tobacco product - Why is it under this directive?
Might as well slap fuel tax on chocolate just because Mars Bars are sold in petrol stations...

The WHO actually advocated tobacco instead of vaping, because the former can be more heavily taxed and brings in a useful source of income.

Why don't let anyone with a camera take a picture of the smoker, with a clear picture of them doing it along with the number plate.

Fantastic idea!! Brilliant!! Wicked!! Awesome!! Innovative!!!
Inattentive SJW morons driving with cameras on everyone will be crashing their cars like it's going out of fashion!!
Incidentally, those car crashes and the toxic chemical fumes from the burning wrecks are hazardous to childrens' health... How dare you suggest I expose my children to that filth!!

 

[thebennyboy]

About time. Smoking is a disgusting habit that should be banned around children fullstop.

 

[ubersonic]

It's heartbreaking when a smoker brings in their cat/dog and the poor thing smells like an ashtray, and yet they can't even smell it

 

[KIA]

But the government push vaccines that we know contain aluminium, egg whites and monkey kidney extract, and they allow water companies to put toxic chemicals like chlorine and sodium fluoride in our water supply.
If you believe what you posted then you must believe that the government should stop also, or if they can do it then they can't stop us from doing it.

Thanks for inadvertently debunking some of your claims.

 

[Wazz-1]

Although I agree with it in principle, I think its a waste of time, an unenforceable burden on the already over stretched police force.

I do hate to see it though.

 

[Arazi]

To the people in this thread who are clearly anti smoking anywhere and not just cars with child passengers i guess you all wear some kind of gas mask to stop all the pollutants from cars, buses, trucks etc etc etc that most of us breathe in everyday?

The level of hypocrisy is high in here.

 

[Avenged7Fold]

So far in this thread we have had:

- Vaccine conspiracy nuts
- Disbelievers of second hand smoke
- claims that smoking affects your ability to drive to the point where you have an unsafe amount of control

Next GD thread i make, i will save a second post to name and shame the most ridiculous posts so that people can quickly press a link to the original post and view it for laughs.

 

[platypus]

To the people in this thread who are clearly anti smoking anywhere and not just cars with child passengers i guess you all wear some kind of gas mask to stop all the pollutants from cars, buses, trucks etc etc etc that most of us breathe in everyday?

The level of hypocrisy is high in here.

Air pollution from traffic, industry et al is unfortunately a necessary evil, but I'd certainly advocate governments literally throwing money at speeding up the electric "revolution", and getting rid of combustion engines for starters.

Comparing that to an unnecessary and unpleasant vice is pretty stupid at best.

 

[dowie]

To the people in this thread who are clearly anti smoking anywhere and not just cars with child passengers i guess you all wear some kind of gas mask to stop all the pollutants from cars, buses, trucks etc etc etc that most of us breathe in everyday?

The level of hypocrisy is high in here.

Where do you think the hypocrisy is exactly?

Tis easy to step outside to have a cigarette if there is a child in the room.

 

[anything I don't mind]

Rubbish. Second hand smoke is a very real threat to health. Concentrating it in a small unventilated space like a car greatly increases this threat.

No one ever smokes in a car without the window open. Penn and teller destroyed the second hand smoke myth in one of their bs episodes. The only way it can be a harm is if the room is hot boxed consistently and that is next to impossible to do with tobacco. Sure if you living in a house where someone smokes and they do 30 a day for 15 years you may see some negative effect. In a pub or a car or similar the threat of second hand smoke is non existent because second hand smoke can't be inhaled as it's already been smoked.