Alabamans who vape in their cars with a child present could be fined $100 as part of a new law.
The Republican state is the first in America to ban the use of e-cigarettes in enclosed spaces with children under the age of 14.
It comes amid growing evidence that vaping poses similar risks to the user as regular cigarettes. A study last month also revealed the harms of second-hand vape.
An estimated one in 10 American adults vape regularly, the equivalent of about 30 million people, according to official data, and in Alabama that’s one in 11.
New Alabama law would impose a $100 fine on anyone in a car who smokes or vapes in front of a child
Beginning August 1, any Alabama driver or passenger who is pulled over for a traffic violation and found to be vaping in the company of a child under 14 will be penalized, whether the windows were down or the car was stopped.
The law applies to vaping nicotine-packed e-cigarettes as well as traditional cigarettes.
While there is no tobacco in e-cigarettes, only nicotine, state and federal officials classify all nicotine-containing products, including vapes as tobacco products, which are subject to the same restrictions.
The Alabama Department of Public Health said: ‘Children’s smaller bodies take in a greater amount of air, so tobacco smoke is particularly dangerous to them.
To protect children traveling in your vehicle, do not allow anyone to smoke. Rolling down windows don’t protect them.
“Smoking or vaping in an enclosed vehicle with children is a secondary offense. This means that if a driver is stopped for any other reason and a child is present, fines could be as high as $100.”
The first law of its kind comes amid growing acceptance that vape plumes contain microscopic toxins known as particulate matter that are small enough to cause respiratory distress when inhaled and pass into the bloodstream.
Much more is known about the harmful effects of inhaling cigarette smoke which is loaded with over 7,000 types of toxic chemicals and carcinogens.
A brief exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke is enough to increase a child’s risk of developing breathing problems, cognitive and heart problems, and sudden infant death syndrome.
There was a time in the mid 2000s to 2010s when e-cigarettes were considered a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes.
The vapor produced by e-cigarettes is sometimes odorless and not offensive or fruity or sweet-smelling.
In fact, vapes were considered safe enough to be used in indoor public areas, even hospitals, for a short period of time.
But scientists are becoming increasingly aware of the potential health risks associated with inhaling the seemingly harmless plumes of e-cigarettes.
Scientists at universities in Virginia and North Carolina recently reported that when e-cigarette users puffed in their cars for less than 10 minutes, the air around them became loaded with potentially toxic particles known specifically as PM2.5 (which is a diameter of 2.5 microns or smaller).
When the particles are inhaled, they enter the lungs and irritate the entire respiratory system, potentially causing or aggravating asthma, bronchitis and severe wheezing.
Secondhand smoke from combustible cigarettes, meanwhile, is a known cause of SIDS, respiratory infections, ear infections and asthma attacks in infants and children.
It also paves the way for heart disease, stroke and lung cancer in adult non-smokers.
Each year, exposure to secondhand smoke causes more than 41,000 deaths from lung cancer and heart disease among nonsmoking adults and 400 deaths from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, according to the 2014 Surgeon General’s Report.
The Mobile, Alabama Police Department said of the new law, “Protecting the health of our children is a shared responsibility. Secondhand smoke and vapor can harm their well-being, and this law creates a safer environment.”