help
collapse
Press one of the expand buttons to see the full text of an article. Later press collapse to revert to the original form. The buttons below expand or collapse all articles.
expand
collapse
Children of Ontario Smokers to be Seized
December 7, 2007 permalink
The law we predicted on November 22 is now pending in the provincial parliament. It is Bill 11, An Act to amend the Smoke-Free Ontario Act to protect children and youth from second-hand smoke in motor vehicles. When proclaimed, Ontario police will be issuing tickets for smoking while driving with a child in the car.
The most important question is not the amount of the fine, but will children's aid societies confiscate the children? The answer is yes, regardless of what the law says. It is standard procedure in Ontario to notify children's aid whenever police issue a ticket for a safety offense with a child in the car. The fact that children fare better with imperfect parents than in foster or group homes will count for nothing when a platoon of social workers marches on your family. And for non-smokers, don't think your children are safe. They can be seized if they hitch a ride with a smoker.
