Editorial: Important new state law makes it illegal to smoke with kids in car

As Chicago and the suburbs dealt with protests and unrest this week, a new law went into effect in Illinois Monday with little fanfare.

House Bill 2276 was, understandably, overshadowed by the dramatic headlines of the last few days as well as the ongoing battle against COVID-19. So many Illinoisans may have forgotten about the change, approved by lawmakers last year and signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in August.

As of Monday, it is now illegal in Illinois to smoke in vehicles with anyone under the age of 18.

It's about time.

Illinois is now one of only nine states with a law like it on the books, according to the American Lung Association. Yet, it's an important move and another step toward protecting children from the very real dangers of secondhand smoke.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, secondhand smoke can cause more severe asthma problems in children, as well as other respiratory issues, ear infections and even a heightened risk for sudden infant death syndrome. Children who are exposed to it are also more likely to develop cancer in adulthood.

In fact, the CDC reports that more than 41,000 people die each year from secondhand smoke.

As the American Cancer Society points out, that smoke includes at least 70 chemicals that can cause cancer. Children, the society's website stresses, are most affected by the toxins - yet the least able to avoid it.

Many of us grew up at a time when smoking was commonplace in restaurants, offices, airplanes and many homes. But for those with parents who smoked, the fumes - and the dangers - seemed more pronounced in the tight confines of a car.

Indeed, studies show that "alarming" levels of smoke are created in just a few minutes of smoking in a car, depending on conditions and ventilation. Imagine how much smoke a child, driving with a parent who smokes heavily, would inhale over the years. And even an open window cannot protect children with their smaller lungs from the effects.

Under the new law, unfortunately, police officers cannot issue tickets unless they have pulled a car over for another violation and find someone in the car - driver or passenger - is smoking in the presence of children.

Fines are $100 for a first violation and up to $250 for subsequent violations.

We are not sure whether the threat of fines will deter parents, grandparents, caregivers and others from lighting up in the car.

But the threat to a child's health definitely should.