Is It Illegal to Smoke with Kids in the Car in Idaho?

'90s Smoking Culture was Lit

Strolling down memory lane the other day, I couldn't help but notice every photo in my album from 1992 featured a smoker mid-drag.

Practically every aunt, uncle, and family friend caught on camera was puffing away, living their best nicotine-loving lives. Filled with the haze of cigarette smoke, Mom's kitchen looked more like a smoker's lounge on a Friday night than it did a gathering place for family parties.

Back then, that was the norm. People smoked anywhere they wanted no matter who was around: infants, toddlers, kids, the elderly, the sick—few were spared from smoke-filled rooms and cars. But that was over 30 years ago. Today, we know better. At least we should, anyway.

That's why I was so surprised to see a young mother smoking in a Ford Fusion on I-84 with her three small children in tow. What's worse, her windows were barely cracked. As I drove in the lane next to her, I wondered it if was even legal for Idahoans to smoke in cars with children anymore.

So, is it legal to smoke in cars with Idaho kids?

In short, yes. There's no law in Idaho that stipulates it's illegal to light up around your kids at home or in the car.

While I don't mean to judge smokers or their right to smoke, it breaks my heart when they force their habit upon their kids. Call me Karen, but I think Idaho's little backseat passengers should be free from smoke-filled homes and cars. Don't you?

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In 2023, it's beyond common knowledge that exposing Idaho's tiny tots to cigarette smoke compromises their lungs' ability to develop and thrive. From respiratory issues to more serious health risks, no good can come from a child's repeated exposure to secondhand smoke.

Smoking with kids in cars, Idaho? Let's make it a thing of the past and put our kids' health first if not our own.