[US Patriot]

Smoking is not a crime - yet, but if the American Lung Association has their way, it soon will be.

The American Lung Association has been on the rampage against what they deem, "Big Tobacco," for several years now and show no signs of letting up any time soon. Unfortunately, it's not "Big Tobacco" that they are going after this time, it's the little guy - that's you and me.

In their current campaign, they are trying to convince California Legislators to pass Assembly Bill 379, in order to "protect children."

According to their website:

Help Reduce Smoking in Cars with Children

Assembly Bill 379 (Koretz, D-West Hollywood) will prohibit smoking in vehicles when young children are present, defined by those that are required to ride in child safety seats (six years of age or sixty pounds, whichever is first). Secondhand smoke has been determined to cause cancer, respiratory illness and trigger asthma attacks, to name just a few of the significant health impacts. AB 379 is important because the lungs of young children are at higher risk by secondhand smoke because their lungs are still developing physically, they have higher breathing rates than adults, and they have little control over their indoor environments, in this case, cars.

In January 2006, the California Air Resources Control Board declared secondhand smoke a toxic air contaminant, the first such designation by a state in the nation. Not only did CARB affirm the mountainous scientific evidence supporting the ill effects of secondhand smoke, the scientific findings quantified smoke concentrations in automobiles. One such finding indicated that average particulate concentrations in vehicles are up to 10 times higher than the average particulate concentrations found in the homes of smokers.

A Field Research Corporation Poll ("Field Poll") commissioned the American Lung Association of California found that 65 percent of California voters support enacting a law that would prohibit smoking in cars with young children present. Thirty percent opposed and five percent had no opinion.

There are several things wrong with this campaign.

First and most importantly, passing this bill is not their goal, it's a means to an end. The ultimate goal is to make smoking any where, for any reason - illegal. If you remember your history books, you'll recall that prohibition didn't work against alcohol and making smoking illegal isn't going to work either. It only serves to increase the governments coffers and steal more money from the middle class.

Second, most people no longer smoke in their cars because it decreases the resale value of the vehicle. Those who do choose to smoke in their vehicles hold the cigarette near the window or smoke with the windows all the way down, making the smoke reaching the backseat negligible. Instead of banning cigarette smoking in vehicles, shouldn't we simply ban children from riding in them? After all vehicle emmissions are far worse for children than secondhand smoke.

This bill is a blatant attempt to increase funding for the state of California and has nothing to do with protecting children.

There are plenty of unbiased studies, which prove that quoted industry studies are fabricated and weighted on the side of the anti-smoking crowd, but of course, if you say something long enough, people tend to believe it.

Don't be fooled by this, this is just another freedom anti-smokers are trying to take away. Next, they will be taking children away from mothers and father because they smoke. Oh, wait, they are already doing that in California.

If this is supposed to be the land of the FREE, I'd just like to have one question answered. Exactly, What are we FREE to do?

Encourage your legislators to Vote NO on AB 379.

Second-hand Smoke Facts

• The Facts About Second Hand Smoke
• Passive Smoke
• Does second-hand smoke really cause cancer?
• Secondhand Smoke Study Raises Ire