Call for smoking ban in cars

Could a ban on smoking in cars happen? The influential Royal College of Physicians has called for smoking to be banned in cars.

'Passive smoking and children', a major new report launched today by the RCP's Tobacco Advisory Group has reinforced its view that child health is being undermined by passive smoking.

About 2 million children currently live in a household where they are exposed to cigarette smoke, and many more are exposed outside the home.

Alarming new estimates for child health damage attributable to passive smoking includes over 20,000 cases of lower respiratory tract infection, 120,000 cases of middle ear disease and at least 22,000 new cases of wheeze and asthma annually.

Each year, these cases generate over 300,000 UK GP consultations and about 9,500 hospital admissions, and cost the NHS about £23.3 million.

The report stops short of calling for a smoking ban in private homes - which the RCP believes would be unworkable.

However, it does state: "Smoke-free legislation should be extended much more widely, to include public places frequented by children and young people, and to prohibit all smoking in cars and other vehicles."

The Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, who wrote the Foreword, said: "I very much welcome this report which clearly sets out the danger to children from exposure to second hand smoke.

"Among [our] many commitments... are plans to do more to reduce smoking in homes and cars in which children are present."

Professor Terence Stephenson, President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), was equally concerned.

He said: "Second-hand smoke has been found to be strongly linked to chest infections in children, asthma, ear problems and sudden infant death syndrome, or cot death.

"We should be making cars totally smoke-free if there are children travelling in them."

Source: Indiacar.com Source : http://www.newcarnet.co.uk (3/24/2010)