HUNTSVILLE, Ala — Protecting children in the care extends beyond a seatbelt, and a new Alabama law wants to protect their health...and potentially yours. It makes it illegal to smoke or vape in cars where there are kids under 14.
Mmoking, in any compacity around children can have negative effects, says Dr. Wes Stubblefield with ADPH. "One thing to remember is that what is exhaled after you vape is not just water vapor. There are substances in there such as nicotine, other ultrafine particles that get into the lungs, so once it comes out of your mouth and back into the air, then children breathe those in and they can get into their young bodies which affect them in different ways than they do adults."
The newly enacted Alabama law prohibits smoking or vaping in enclosed motor vehicles with children ages 14 and younger as passengers. David Battle with Partnership for a Drug-Free Community explains,"Well, the law had passed a couple of months ago, but it's gone into effect now. And it's for that it affects people that are driving that have children that are 14 and under age. So it's a protective law, really. And they bring attention to the harm that vaping is doing, which is equal to cigarette smoke.
Battle says the only concern isn't second hand smoke. "They're not born smoking. But you have secondhand smoke, which they're inhaling into their lives. But [there's also] thirdhand smoke. Now, thirdhand smoke is where the smoke or the residue from all these chemicals settles on, whatever is around. That's in the car seat, on the baby, on the animals, on the clothing. and it's there. And if you think about it, like with cigarette smoke, if you walk into a room where someone's been smoking, you can still smell the smoke. That's because it's not gone. It's just settled. the residue is still there.
That early exposure can also lead to another problem…addiction. "The brain doesn't develop fully until age swap between age 25 and 30. But the brains are still developing. Their bodies are still developing. So any chemicals you introduce, any poisons that the introducing the system, can hinder that growth and may not reach a potential. [It] alters everything going on and nicotine is addictive, and it affects the brain, the wiring of the brain. That's where that addiction comes in and plays a big role.
And for those who are looking to quit, the Alabama Department of Public Health has a program called the Alabama Tobacco Quitline. Dial 1-800-QUIT- NOW. They provide the materials to help people to see smoking or vaping.
The Alabama Tobacco Quitline (1-800 Quit Now) is a free telephone and online coaching service for any Alabamian who is ready to quit tobacco.
Information, referrals and counseling are confidential, and sessions are designed on a schedule convenient for the caller. Those who enroll in the counseling program can receive, if medically eligible, up to eight weeks of nicotine patches to assist in quitting. Call 1-800 Quit Now (1-800-784-8669) or visit www.quitnowalabama.com to enroll in the program.
All services are free for Alabama residents.