Assembly Appropriations Passes Oropeza’s Anti-Cancer Bill

Publication Date: 2007-08-31

• Publication:California Chronicle, CA

A proposed ban on smoking in cars with children by state Sen. Jenny Oropeza, D-Long Beach, successfully passed the Assembly Appropriations Committee today, with a final Assembly floor vote to be held next week.

“This much-needed measure will increase public awareness about the dangers of secondhand smoke and is a prudent, reasonable step to help protect the health of our children,” Oropeza, a cancer survivor, said after committee passage of Senate Bill 7.

Health experts have testified that recent scientific studies, including a 2006 report by the Harvard School of Public Health, concluded second-hand smoke in a car can be up to 10 times more dangerous than in a home.

If adopted into law, SB 7 would impose a $100 fine on drivers and passengers cited for smoking in a car with another person aged 17 or younger.

Protecting non-smokers and cleaning up the environment have long been priorities for Oropeza. Going into effect Jan. 1, 2007, was AB 2067, her measure banning smoking in common-use areas of covered parking lots and adjacent stairwells, lobbies, lounges, waiting areas, elevators and restrooms.