[NCLaw441]

You said: It's not the smoke; it's the butt that blows back in the car and hits your kid in the teeth.
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Full disclosure, I am a non-smoker child of two smokers (didn't keep my sister from smoking, but my brother and I never have been inclined to smoke). I don't care if others smoke, and I can tolerate, but don't really enjoy, being around the smoke of others (just not in my car or home, thanks). I remember being closed up in the car while my parents smoked with the windows up-- especially bad on rainy days. They weren't trying to be mean or cruel, they just thought nothing of it. We kids, growing up in the early 60's, would never have even thought of asking them not to smoke. It was just part of who they were (my mother died at 43 of lung cancer. My father, long divorced from my mom, quit 20 years ago, cold turkey). I doubt there are any serious health risks associated with it, but I CAN tell you that after being around kids whose parents smoke heavily, these kids really stink of tobacco. Their parents won't ever know, and the kids know no better. I don't think there should be a law against this, but parents should be a little more caring.

My main gripe is the butts out the window. Why is this form of littering apparently acceptable? Smokers, for the most part, don't seem to want to use the ashtrays in their cars because they don't like the smell. Why should the rest of us have to put up with it? I also find it curious that most smokers like to drive with their window down, with their cigarette near the open window, even when no one else is in the car. Why is this? Are they bothered by the smoke in some way? I see it when the temperature is in the 20's and rain is coming down. If I were paying what people have to pay for a pack of smokes, seems like you'd want to keep all that aromatic smoke as close to you as you can, not waste it by letting it go out the window.

Most of us of my age lived with smokers with no apparent consequences, so I don't think laws should be enacted. Maybe just a little common sense enacted would do the trick.

[LaineyDee]

My main gripe is the butts out the window. Why is this form of littering apparently acceptable? Smokers, for the most part, don't seem to want to use the ashtrays in their cars because they don't like the smell. Why should the rest of us have to put up with it? I also find it curious that most smokers like to drive with their window down, with their cigarette near the open window, even when no one else is in the car. Why is this?

I can answer that. Because it's become so offensive to even "smell" smoke, that most smokers drive with their windows down to cut down on the "smell". They don't want to offend anyone. As for the butts out the window.... the most annoying thing to me is the fast food bags and drinks tossed out at 70mph. I never see any "butts" along the road... yet I sure see the cleanup crews going after the McDonald's, Wendy's and Jack in the Box bags/containers. I guess it's all in what you focus on, eh? :)

[mysterio]

Smokers, for the most part, don't seem to want to use the ashtrays in their cars because they don't like the smell.

Incorrect. Anti-smokers have removed ashtrays from most new vehicles. I take that as a sign that they want the butts on the streets. If they wanted me to put it in an ashtray, they would have equipped my car with one.

[Nathan Zachary]

It's because it's a real pain to clean that smoke build up off the inside of the car windows, especially if you are fat and own a compact car. (I used to be a smoker, but I'm not fat, just seen others trying) Another reason is the smoke that comes off the cigarette gets into your eyes and makes them water, so rolling down the window has a few benefits for the seasoned smoker. A pitfall is butts blowing back into the car, landing in the back seat and burning the appolstery. It does on occasion, ignite that pile of fast food bags piled up in the back seat, which is why you sometimes see a car aflame.

Why smokers don't throw these out, I don't know, but for some reason, smokers don't litter as much as non-smokers do. perhaps it's because they can't smell the awfull stink of days old fast food left in these bags as well as non-smokers can.

[ndt]

"I also find it curious that most smokers like to drive with their window down, with their cigarette near the open window, even when no one else is in the car. Why is this?"

I recently quit, but I did this while I was smoking. Too much smoke did bother me, and I was a pack and a half a day smoker. It's the difference between a little garlic in your food and rolling around naked in it.