He Should Have Passed the Cigarette to the Girl

Jacob Sullum | February 18, 2009

When cities and states began prohibiting smoking in cars carrying minors, I suggested we might see police stopping "a 17-year-old for speeding, then ticketing his 18-year-old friend for endangering the driver by smoking in the backseat" or (in jurisdictions with primary enforcement) pulling over "that long-haired 20-year-old with a NORML bumper sticker...if he's smoking in the presence of someone who might be a teenager." Here is a scenario I should have predicted but didn't:

The latest case of an Ontario driver nabbed by police for smoking in a car carrying a minor is raising eyebrows about the new law.

A 20-year-old Port Hope, Ont., man has been ticketed for smoking in a car in which a 15-year-old girl was one of his passengers.

While Tory Ashton was waiting for his $155 ticket, the girl—a smoker herself—got out of the car and legally lit up a cigarette of her own.

Although you have to be at least 19 to legally purchase cigarettes in Ontario, there's no minimum smoking age. But there is a minimum age to ride in a car with a smoker—unless that smoker is you.

[Thanks to Ultra Megatron for the tip.]

Comments

First Nation City Bank of Gitc|2.18.09 @ 2:57PM|#

What about sharing a peace-pipe?

|2.18.09 @ 3:00PM|#

Wow, Canada is just as fucked up as we are. Good for them.

|2.18.09 @ 3:02PM|#

Just tell the Ontarians they're acting like Americans. They'll stop instantly.

Naga Sadow|2.18.09 @ 3:02PM|#

This seems like one of those things I should be outraged about but am to jaded to register it anymore due to excessive reading of Balko articles.

Warty|2.18.09 @ 3:12PM|#

When did the world move past parody? I missed it.

Taktix®|2.18.09 @ 3:12PM|#

This seems like one of those things I should be outraged about but am to jaded to register it anymore due to excessive reading of Balko articles.

This falls less under the "Outrage" category and more under the "How Fucked Up Our Daily Lives Will Soon Be" category...

meh|2.18.09 @ 3:17PM|#

What if there were two seventeen-year-olds smoking? Ticket them both?

|2.18.09 @ 3:20PM|#

Episiarch | February 18, 2009, 3:02pm | #
Just tell the Ontarians Canadians ( fixed) they're acting like Americans. They'll stop instantly.

Epi pretty much nailed it! Except for that one minor correction of course.

PantsFan|2.18.09 @ 3:22PM|#

Just tell the Ontarians they're acting like Americans. They'll stop instantly.


Nah, they'll just say that even Americans get stuff right once in a while.

|2.18.09 @ 3:44PM|#

What's the word I'm looking for? Ahh yes: Pretext to harass smokers.

*ducks*|2.18.09 @ 3:55PM|#

Just quit and you won't have to deal with it.

|2.18.09 @ 4:07PM|#

What if there were two seventeen-year-olds smoking? Ticket them both?

Don't forget to shoot the dog.

phalkor|2.18.09 @ 4:24PM|#

dugg for "Thanks to Ultra Megatron for the tip"

gee whiz, smokers are modern lepers. the notion of "smoker's rights" seems so icky that I guess smokers don't have rights.

Paul|2.18.09 @ 4:24PM|#

How's that Drug War thing going?

|2.18.09 @ 5:47PM|#

What if there were two seventeen-year-olds smoking? Ticket them both?

And what if they were texting dirty pics of each other to each other? Then what?

I love it when nanny state laws become so numerous and intrusive, they actually manage to generate logical difficulties in enforcement.

Hormonal Redhead|2.18.09 @ 6:21PM|#

I don't smoke. Don't like the taste. But I'm thinking about starting just to piss off people who think smoking is teh evil.

cuernimus|2.18.09 @ 8:31PM|#

"But Mr. Sherman! If the Children don't have cigarettes, what will they do after sex!?"

JB|2.20.09 @ 2:24AM|#

Canada is dumb. They can keep Obama. We don't want that crook back in this country.