Hudson Valley Fourth-Grader Proposes Legislation To Ban Smoke Shops

When I was in fourth grade, I was reading Captain Underpants books and pretending to be Spider-Man. This kid is trying to get laws passed. 

In New Rochelle, an elementary school student has pitched an idea to the City Council to ban all smoke shops located within 500 feet of schools, day care centers, and playgrounds. Her concern is that repeated exposure to tobacco products could have a negative influence on kids her age.

City leaders are taking the proposal seriously, too. They plan on discussing the proposal at a public hearing on July 11th. One smoke shop owner in town thinks it's a useless idea, and that if the city were serious about limiting tobacco around kids, they would also ban it at every store, deli, and gas station.

What do you think? I think it's a great idea, and not just because I don't want a nine-year-old to look smarter than me (though, that too). Tobacco products can be especially harmful to kids, so it makes sense to try to create an environment where they can avoid them as much as possible. Do you think there's another solution?