San Juan – The U.S. territory of Puerto Rico has made it a crime to smoke inside a vehicle if one of the passengers is younger than 18.
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The island’s Health Department said Sunday that violators will face a $250 penalty. Officials said 10 percent of money collected from those fines will go to the pediatric center at Puerto Rico’s largest public hospital.
The island banned smoking in all public and certain private places in 1993.
Why can’t the Hareidim community, as well as other frum communities, have their Rabbanim issue a prohibition against smoking? Since it is a against Halacha to engage in any activity which is injurious to one’s health, what seems to be the problem, in prohibiting smoking? I know of several frum people who smoke. When they come to Shul during the week, their clothes stink from cigarette smoke, since they’ve lit up before davening. Even on Shabbos, if they are still wearing the same garments that they wore before Shabbos, I can still smell the smoke ingrained in their garments. It is disgusting and annoying!
I’m not a sm9ker, but wake up there are a LOT of things that are unhealthy for a person & yet we still do it & no rabbi will speak badly of it. Besides we have a lot more important battles to fight like drugs, neglectful parents even abusive parents & more. Yes, smoking kills & it’s an addiction (which took my father) but an adult has a right to make their own decisions unlike teens & toddlers