I recently spent six days along the coast of San Diego, California hiking state parks, dining at cafes and shopping at boutiques and malls. What I noticed was that I didn’t have to move through a haze of cigarette smoke to get places. During my trip, the only time I saw anyone smoking was outside the airport. For six days, I watched and never saw a smoker.  As a nonsmoker, it was a breath of fresh air.

In April, I spent five days in New York City and had to take allergy medication because of all the smoke inhaled as I walked through the city streets to shop and dine. I couldn’t get away from it. No matter where I walked, the thick haze of multiple smokers standing outside of buildings hung in the air. By the end of each day, I felt sick from all the smoke. I’m highly sensitive to the smell. What a stark contrast.

We all know that second hand smoke is a known  carcinogenic, containing chemicals that can cause cancer. And while I know it is controversial to ban smoking in many places like your own car, I can’t imagine a child having to breathe that air from a parent smoking. A child can’t move out of the path of a smoker.

So if you are a parent who smokes, give your child a break and give up the habit. He or she needs a clean air break too.

How do you feel about banning smoking from personal vehicles?

For help to stop smoking, read this guide from the American Cancer Society.