New Jersey borough may ban minors from smoking in public

By Staff Writer

An administrative division in a New Jersey county is considering an ordinance that would ban minors from smoking in public places.

NorthJersey.com reports that the borough's juvenile officer recently made a proposal that would prevent children under 18 years old from smoking tobacco products in parks and on public streets. The sergeant said that he has been approached by many parents who claim that teenagers are smoking around their young children.

He told the news provider that the ordinance, if implemented, will specifically target kids in seventh, eight and ninth grades because they are at the critical age of deciphering between good and bad behavior.

A nearby borough has a similar ordinance that bans minors from smoking or using tobacco products in public, as well as non-public places that are in plain view. The regulation does not apply to the minor's parent's home.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, early smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to experience various behavioral problems by grade 12.