Group seeks to outlaw smoking in cars with children

A local group is pushing for a statewide ban on smoking in cars with children. The group, composed of several mothers, has started a petition and even reached out to elected officials.

Tavia Pickett and her children regularly stand at busy intersections in Idaho Falls with handmade signs supporting the ban. While Pickett’s gotten plenty of positive response, she’s the first to admit that not everyone seems to care for her proposal.

“People swear at my kids, and blow smoke on them and call them Socialists,” Pickett said.

Pickett said they’re not Socialists, but are simply concerned about the well-being of children.

“I don’t think that my children or any other children for that matter should be a smoker if they don’t wanna be,” she said.

Pickett said smoking in cars poses a greater hazard to children than air pollution.

“Even rolling down a window does not stop the children from breathing in the small pollutants that are coming into their bodies,” said Pickett.

She and other group members have started a petition that’s already garnered over 300 signatures, but it still falls short of their 2,000-signature goal.

Pickett is urging others to write their elected officials in support of this ban.

“I don’t feel as if we’re taking the freedom of the people. We’re just giving rights to our children,” said Pickett.

Several states have already banned smoking in cars with children, including Utah, Oregon and California.

In addition to the paper petition, the group also has an online petition: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/childrens-right-to-breathe.html