Arkansas Law Enforcement Partners With Department of Health to Protect Children From Secondhand Smoke in Cars - May 13th, 2010
The Arkansas Department of Health and state law enforcement joined forces at a press conference today to alert Arkansans that local police will be on the lookout for drivers smoking in cars with children, and they will be pulled over and fined. The press conference kicked off a statewide campaign to increase enforcement and raise awareness of Act 13, which makes it a primary offense to smoke in a car carrying children under the age of 6 and weighing less than 60 pounds.
“It is our job to ensure Arkansans follow the law,” said Chuck Lange, executive director of the Arkansas Sheriffs Association. “Law enforcement all over the state are committed to protecting the innocent lungs of Arkansas children by ramping up enforcement of Act 13.”
Act 13, also known as the Arkansas Protection from Secondhand Smoke for Children Act, was passed in 2006. Arkansas was the first state in the nation to pass a law extending protection from secondhand smoke to cars, a law that has now been adopted by states such as Louisiana, Maine and California. Violators of the law can avoid a fine on a first offense if they enroll in a program to quit tobacco.
“Secondhand smoke is extremely dangerous, especially to young children in a confined space,” said Dr. Paul Halverson, director and state health officer of the Arkansas Department of Health. “There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke”.
According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, 490 adults die in Arkansas every year due to secondhand smoke exposure. It can cause severe asthma attacks, respiratory infections, ear infections and sudden infant death syndrome. It has also been linked to heart disease and lung cancer in adults.
Smoking in a car makes dangerous particle levels rise within seconds of a cigarette being lit. The levels can exceed the hazardous limit on the Environmental Protection Agency air quality index by 20 times or more. Even with windows open, the smoke can stay trapped in the car, exposing children to high levels. The smoke deposits onto the surfaces of the car interior, potentially exposing a child to chemicals even when no one is currently smoking.
Partners in the effort to protect Arkansas children from secondhand smoke include: the Arkansas Department of Health, the Arkansas Sheriffs Association, Arkansas State Police, Little Rock Police Department and tobacco control coalitions across the state. With continued support from these groups, Arkansas will make strides toward eliminating involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke and will save lives as a result.
For more information about efforts to educate Arkansans about Act 13, visit stampoutsmoking.com. To enroll in a program to quit tobacco, call the Arkansas Tobacco Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
