安省新法：禁止成年人在载有16岁以下儿童的汽车内吸烟，如有违反，当事人将被处以罚款最高250元

[Mike教练]

安省议会周一通过私人法案，禁止成年人在载有16岁以下儿童的汽车内吸烟，如有违反，当事人将被处以罚款，但最多不超过250元，安省3大政党均投了赞成票。

安省卫生厅长表示，早前安省已经立法，在工作和公共场所如酒吧、餐馆，吸烟属违法行为，如今新法令给16岁以下儿童加了一层保护。这位卫生厅长在省议会上 发言称，由于儿童没有多少发言权，因此新法可以用来保护最易受伤害的群体。医疗团体对省议会的决定表示欢迎。

但吸烟人士对禁令颇有意见，烟民权利组织的网 站Mychoice.ca 称，省府现在立法禁止人们在车内吸烟，不久会扩展到私人住宅，最终让吸烟人士在自己家中也不能吸烟。但麦坚迪说，当局目前没有打算这样做。

 

[Mike教练]

Ontario passes ban on smoking in cars with kids under 16


TORONTO _ Ontario became the latest Canadian province to ban smoking in a vehicle with a child present Monday after a government-backed private member's bill passed in the legislature with the support of all three parties.


Smoking in Ontario workplaces and public areas, such as bars and restaurants, is already illegal in Ontario, but the new ban will provide an additional level of protection to children under the age of 16 , said Health Promotion Minister Margarett Best.

``This is about protection of our most vulnerable citizens _ children who do not have a voice,'' Best told the legislature.


Drivers and passengers in Ontario who don't butt out in cars carrying children won't be fined more than $250 for each offence, a much lighter fine than originally envisioned by Liberal backbencher David Orazietti's bill, which set penalties up to $1,000.


Nova Scotia and British Columbia have already outlawed the practice, which critics liken to child abuse. Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick are also considering a similar ban.


Health care groups who lobbied hard for a ban praised the province for taking the right steps to protect children's health.


``Doctors have been calling for a ban since 2004 and raising awareness about the serious impacts on children of second-hand smoke in cars,'' Ontario Medical Association president Dr. Ken Arnold said in a statement.


``The amount of support it has received publicly and from MPPs of all stripes is an indication that more people are becoming educated about the negative health impacts of smoking.''


Premier Dalton McGuinty once dismissed a province-wide ban as a slippery slope that infringed too much on people's rights, but changed his tune in March and threw his government's support behind the private members' bill.


Mychoice.ca, a smokers' rights group financed in part by the tobacco industry, has raised concerns that the ban will eventually extend to private homes, but McGuinty said that's not under consideration.


Government officials cite studies which show that kids are exposed to up to 27 times the toxins when they're in enclosed spaces like a car, which can worsen asthma and lead to other respiratory illnesses.


The province will launch a campaign to better educate the public about the dangers of smoking in vehicles with children, but hasn't yet determined how much it will spend, Best said.
``We expect the budget will not be a big budget because we expect that there's going to be a very high percentage of compliance with this piece of legislation,'' she said.


But police will be expected to enforce the law once it takes effect, which will only make their jobs more onerous, said Opposition Leader Bob Runciman.


``There will probably be very little enforcement of this, in terms of checking cars and that sort of thing,'' he said. ``So I think education would be a critical part of this. It has to be.''


Ontario Provincial Police have said the ban won't be difficult to enforce, as it already inspects for seatbelts and child car seats.


The ban should have also extended protection to teens until they're 19, when they're legally allowed to buy cigarettes, said NDP health critic France Gelinas.


``You send this message that, `We know there are a lot of kids between the ages of 16 and 19 that smoke. It's a problem we're not ready to tackle, therefore we're going to put the cutoff at 16 years old,''' she said.


``That's the wrong message to send.''

 

[Mike教练]

Ont. bans smoking in cars with kids


Canwest News Service


TORONTO - Ontario on Monday became the third province to ban smoking in vehicles carrying children under the age of 16.

"This is about the safety and well-being of our children," said Health Promotion Minister Margarett Best.

Studies suggest second-hand smoke in motor vehicles can be up to 27 times more concentrated than in a smoker's home. The province quoted other research which has concluded children exposed to second-hand smoke are more likely to suffer Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and more severe asthma. Exposure to second-hand smoke among children also has been linked to lower cognitive test scores compared with children who were not exposed.

"This new law gives a voice to the back seat," said George Habib, president of the Ontario Lung Association.

Under the law, any person - driver or passenger - caught smoking while someone else under the age of 16 is inside the vehicle can be fined $250.

The proposed law applies to both moving and stationary vehicles and applies to all motor vehicles, regardless of whether any window, sunroof, rooftop, door, or other feature of the vehicle is open.
The legislation passed third reading but there was no indication Monday when it would receive royal assent and become law.

Ontario joins British Columbia and Nova Scotia in implementing the ban. The governments of Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick are considering establishing similar restrictions.


© Canwest News Service 2008

 

[Mike教练]

反对这项法律的声音：

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但是，法律既然通过，每个人都必须严格遵守，另外，吸烟的确对己、对人、特别是儿童，非常不好。