Ban ‘no-brainer’ but fine ‘a joke’

Marlburians are mostly in support of the new law banning smoking in a car with children, but question a fine of just $50.

Last week a bill banning smoking in cars with children passed its final reading with support from all parties, but would not come into effect for 18 months.

The law would make it an offence to smoke in a vehicle with anyone under the age of 18, with police able to issue fines up to $50.

Marlburian David Mckellvey supported the bill, but was shocked the fine would be so low.

‘‘That’s a joke, considering at a later stage they’re going to be a burden on the health system.’’

He said the fine should ‘‘definitely’’ be higher and also include demerit points, due to lasting damage caused by second-hand smoke.

‘‘If you’re smoking in a car with children in it for 10 years, you’re taking years off their life,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s a sentence in itself.’’

Leanne Boyce said the law was a ‘‘no-brainer’’, as children often had no choice but to be in a car with an adult who was smoking.

‘‘Children cannot speak up and make a judgment on that,’’ she said.

She thought the fine for smoking in a car with children should at least be the same, ‘‘if not more’’ as the penalty for being on a mobile phone while driving.

In New Zealand, cellphone use while driving incurred a fine of $80 and 20 demerit points.

Robyn Jukes said she would have expected the fine to be more in line with Australia, where people smoking in a car with children could be slapped with a $250 fine. The law in Australia also came into effect nearly 11 years ago, in July 2009.

She said the $50 fine was barely more than a packet of cigarettes, and questioned how the law would be enforced.

‘‘Like cellphone use, people are still using their cellphones while driving.’’

In 2018, more than 26,000 cellphone-related offences were committed, bringing in $1.9 million in fines that year.

As an ex-smoker himself, John Kiely said the bill was an ‘‘excellent idea’’.

He was a ‘‘heavy-smoker’’ 30 years ago and still suffered from chronic lung problems and was sad to see people smoking in cars with their children. ‘‘I don’t think your lungs ever come fully right.’’

The Smoke-free Environments Amendment Bill passed its third and final reading in Parliament last week, and will come into effect in 18 months’ time.