Dear Editor,

If my memory serves me right, Sen. Cam Ward got a law passed that was connected to children being safer on a school bus. At that time, I believe getting the law passed was connected to an event that had occurred recently.

I have contacted Sen. Ward before regarding another issue — making it illegal to smoke in a motor vehicle where a minor is present — and while I understand this issue isn’t politically expedient, I’m begging Sen. Ward to please take a closer look at it and at least run it up the flagpole to state and local police for a reaction.

We can modify the law to make it illegal to smoke in a motor vehicle if a person of a certain age — say, 15 or under — is a passenger.

The bus situation was somewhat of a rare occasion, but studies show that smoking around minors can lead to much more serious, ongoing, long-term conditions affecting children’s health in the state of Alabama. Someone has to take the reins on this issue. Do the other states that have this law, such as Arkansas and Louisiana, care more about children?

Richard Chase

Alabaster