Virginia Senate passes ban on smoking with kids in car - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

Virginia Senate passes ban on smoking with kids in car

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  • Saturday, May 25 2013 7:47 PM EDT2013-05-25 23:47:22 GMT
    One man died and another is behind bars Saturday after a son shoots and kills his father at their Overlook Drive home in Stanaford.Raleigh County Sheriff's Deputies said 23-year-old Donald Gray Dunn, Jr.
    One man died and another is behind bars Saturday after a son shoots and kills his father at their Overlook Drive home in Stanaford.Raleigh County Sheriff's Deputies said 23-year-old Donald Gray Dunn, Jr.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The Virginia Senate has passed legislation making it illegal for adults to smoke with kids in the car.

The vote on Sen. Ralph Northam's bill was 30-10. It now goes to the House of Delegates, which historically is less receptive to such restrictions.

The Norfolk Democrat is a pediatric neurologist. He said on the Senate floor Thursday that second-hand smoke can contribute to a variety of health problems in children, including sudden infant death syndrome.

Northam's bill would prohibit smoking in a vehicle in the presence of a child under the age of 15. The offense would be charged as a traffic infraction punishable by a $100 fine.

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