Welcome to

Eight states have smoking bans in private vehicles when a child is present. Florida lawmakers are pushing to make the Sunshine state the next on the list.

“Smoking, it’s been demonstrated as certainly harmful for people’s health,” said Senator Rob Bradley, (R) Orange Park.

Six out of every ten children are exposed to secondhand smoke. Now state lawmakers say a change is needed to protect those under 18.

“We have a responsibility, I think as a society to protect our children who cannot make these decisions about whether to smoke or not,” said Senator Bradley.

Registered Nurse Sandy Grischy says secondhand smoke is dangerous, especially for those still in the developmental stage.

“Carcinogens are those pieces that affect our DNA and that’s where the potential for cancer arises,” said Grischy

Its estimated second hand smoke is responsible for nearly 300-thousand cases of bronchitis and pneumonia annually.

Grischy is working to educate Floridians on the dangers of secondhand smoke.

“Someone who’s in a car for about an hour, if someone’s smoking a cigarette and they’re not, it’s equivalent to smoking about three cigarettes,” she said.

One loophole in the proposal: police would have to stop you for something else before you could be ticketed for smoking in a car with a child present.

Another anti-smoking bill would give local authorities the ability to ban smoking at playgrounds when a child is present.