City bans smoking in cars with children inside

HONOLULU – It is now illegal to smoke inside a car with children present in Honolulu.

Honolulu's mayor signed the law, which had been passed unanimously by the city council, that bans smoking in cars with children under 18 inside.

KHON reports the fine for a first offense would be $100, rising to $500 if caught a third time within one year.

Electronic cigarettes are also banned under the new law.

The law was passed to protect children from the effects of cigarettes.

“It is probably 10 times as toxic as it is to be sitting inside a smoky bar for a child to be sitting inside a confined unit exposed to secondhand smoke,” said Lila Johnson, the program manager with the Department of Health.