(OXFORD COUNTY, ON) - The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Oxford County Detachment want to remind all vehicle operators that it is against the law smoke in a motor vehicle where the occupants are 16 years or younger under the Smoke Free Ontario Act.
The OPP were contacted on Wednesday, May 8, 2019, at approximately 2:25 p.m. by a concerned citizen after observing a vehicle children travelling along Noxon Street in Ingersoll. The driver was observed smoking inside the vehicle with three small children in the rear seats.
Effective January 21, 2009, Ontarians cannot smoke in motor vehicles with passengers under 16. Under the law, a driver or passenger smoking in a motor vehicle, while someone else under the age of 16 is present, is committing an offence, and can be fined $125. Second-hand smoke in motor vehicles can be up to 27 times more concentrated than in a smoker's home.
"Drivers often take extra care to protect children in vehicles; having smoke-free cars should be part of that protection." - Inspector Tony Hymers, Detachment Commander, Oxford County OPP.