Bill to prohibit smoking in car with minors receives favorable committee report
Under existing Alabama law, there is no prohibition against smoking tobacco products in a motor vehicle when a child is also present in the vehicle. But that could all change if a bill sponsored by Birmingham-Democrat, State Rep. Rolanda Hollis passes the legislature this session. House Bill 46 would make it illegal to smoke in a vehicle with minors under the age of 14, and would fine adults who choose to break the law up to $100. The legislation received a unanimous favorable report from the Alabama House Health Committee on Thursday. “You, as an adult, have a choice,” Hollis told WSFA-12. “You can get out of the car, but as a kid, you don’t have a choice. So, you’re in a packed compact car with smoke.” According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), “Children are particularly at risk for the effects of second-hand smoke because their bodies are still growing and they breathe at a faster rate than adults.” In fact, a study revealed that second-hand smoke/passive smoking among children leads to acute respiratory illness in children as pneumonia, bronchitis, middle ear problem, cough & wheeze. According to the American Non-Smokers Rights Foundation, 10 states currently prohibit smoking in a personal vehicle when a child is present. This is Harris’ third time proposing the legislation.
Alabama House passes bill to ban smoking in the car with minors
On Tuesday, the Alabama House passed a bill that aims to stop adults from smoking tobacco products in a motor vehicle while any minors are present. Birmingham-Democrat State Rep. Rolonda Hollis filed HB26 in an effort to protect minors who cannot protect themselves from harmful tobacco products. “We aren’t saying you can’t smoke, and we aren’t saying what to do with your body,” Hollis told AL.com. “We just want to look out more for the kids.” Hollis was inspired on a date night with her husband, he lit a cigarette in the car while they were out and Hollis said she could hardly breathe. “If I can barely breathe, I’m sure children can barely breathe,” said Hollis. Violators would receive a $100 fine for every offense. According to the American Lung Association 41,000 people in the U.S. die every year from second-hand smoke, and children who are exposed to it are at risk for heart disease, lung disease, and lung cancer. Secondhand smoke is also a known cause of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and children are more likely to have lung problems, ear infections and worse asthma from being exposed to it. If the bill passes through the senate, Alabama would be one of only nine states to enact a smoking ban with children in the car. According to the American Nonsmokers Rights’ Foundation these are the current smoking bans in the U.S.: Arkansas Persons < than age 6 and under 60 pounds in a child safety seat. Effective 07/21/2006 Persons < age 14. Effective 07/27/2011 California Persons < age 18 Louisiana Persons < age 13 Maine Persons < age 16 Oregon Persons < age 18. The Legislature enacted SB444, which prohibits smoking in any motor vehicle in which a child under age 18 is a passenger. Enacted 6/11/2013 as Chapter 361 2013 Laws. Puerto Rico Persons < age 18 Utah Persons < age 16 Vermont Persons aged 8 and under Virginia Persons < age 8
Bill pre-filed in Alabama House would ban smoking with minors in car
A bill that could stop Alabamians from smoking with children in the car has been pre-filed with the state House. Birmingham-Democrat state Rep. Rolanda Hollis pre-filed HB26, which would make it illegal to smoke a tobacco product in a motor vehicle — whether in motion or at 24 rest — when anyone under 18 is also present. The penalty for violating the law would be a $100 fine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), secondhand smoke kills over 38,000 Americans each year. Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory infections, ear problems, severe asthma, and reduced lung function. Should Alabama pass Hollis’ bill, it would become the ninth state, along with Guam and Puerto Rico, to have laws on the book that prohibit smoking in the car with children. According to the Public Health Law Center,
Here’s the true cost of smoking in Alabama
There are more than 66 million tobacco users in the United States. It’s no secret, cigarettes can cost smokers a pretty penny, but in Alabama the cost of smoking is a lot less compared with other states. According to a new report published by the personal finance website WalletHub, the Yellowhammer State ranks as the 10th least expensive state in the country for smokers. To come up with the rankings, WalletHub calculated the potential monetary losses — including the cumulative cost of a cigarette pack per day over several decades, health care expenditures, income losses and other costs — brought on by smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The news may come as fuel for the fire to some Alabama legislators — who in 2015 sought to raise taxes on e-cigarettes and vaping in the state to help overcome the budget shortfall — since the out-of-pocket cost per pack of cigarettes ranks as the 13th least expensive in the nation. What’s more that WalletHub claims Americans collectively spend a total of $326 billion, including nearly $170 billion in direct health-care costs and more than $156 billion in lost productivity because of premature death and exposure to secondhand smoke, which contributes to the of health care programs in the state. Other Alabama findings from the analysis: Total cost over a lifetime per smoker: $1,305,465 Out-of-pocket cost per smoker: the average cost of a pack of cigarettes, multiplied by the total number of days in 51 years — $94,974, rank 13th. Financial opportunity cost per smoker: the amount of return a person would have earned by instead investing that money in the stock market over the same period — $898,080, rank: 13th Health care cost per smoker: the annual health care costs incurred from smoking, divided by the total number of adult smokers in each state — $123,213, rank: sixth Income loss per smoker: an average 8 percent decrease in the median household income for each state — $177,525, rank fifth Other costs per smoker: $11,674, rank 33rd Source: WalletHub
House budget panel to vote on proposed cigarette tax increase
Alabama business leaders and advocates testified Tuesday before the House’s General Fund budget committee about the economic and health consequences of increasing the cost of tobacco products purchased in the state. The public hearing was to consider Rep. Patricia Todd’s House Bill 572, a proposal to increase the state tax on tobacco products by 25 cents. Advocates supporting higher cigarette taxes warned the panel that the bill didn’t go far enough to bring substantive health and economic benefits. Kimble Forrester, executive director of Alabama ARISE, said that an increase of at least 55 cents per pack is necessary for the state to see a decrease in health costs, as well. “The studies I’ve seen say that you have to raise taxes enough by at least 10 percent per pack to give people some sticker shock,” he said. Others spoke against a higher tax, warning that the increase would send consumers across state lines to purchase tobacco at lower costs per pack. A retailer from Andalusia said that dozens of his customers come from neighboring Florida “because it’s $10 a carton cheaper.” House Bill 572 is the smallest of three proposed cigarette tax increases lawmakers have considered. Originally, Todd had proposed a tax increase of 32.5 cents. And as part of his budget plan, Gov. Robert Bentley had proposed an 82.5-cent tax increase on cigarettes. Todd’s proposal was one of several before the committee today as lawmakers try to agree on a path to overcome an estimated $541 million shortfall in the state budget. The committee also heard comment on legislation to increase taxes on car sales and car rentals, along with two proposals to cut state employee pay through furloughs or by cancelling annual bonuses. The committee chairman indicated that the panel will reconvene on Wednesday for a formal vote.
