Ban smoking in cars with children says ASH Ireland

ASH Ireland has re-launched its campaign to have smoking banned in cars transporting children under 16 years of age, claiming that it can be as much as 23 times more toxic than passive smoke in a house.
Dr Angie Brown, Chairperson of ASH Ireland said: "We first launched this campaign in early 2008 - and yet we have had no positive indication from government that they plan to implement this health initiative, which is now gaining support all around the world."
According to Ms Brown, passive smoke is a Group 1 cancer-causing carcinogen to which 14% of Irish children are exposed. She called upon legislators to provide adequate protection for children, to prevent this.
Drawing an allusion with the erstwhile rules governing the use of seat belts and mobile phones in cars, she branded the voluntary code "insufficient".
Dr Brown went onto say: "The well-established research to justify the vital need to protect children from tobacco smoke in cars is well recognised and irrefutable. There is definitive research available in Ireland (R.I.F.T.F.S), USA, Canada and Australia on this issue. This research also shows that passive smoke is particularly harmful to children as they have much higher respiratory rates and metabolism than adults."
Ms Brown added that there was substantial evidence that children raised in smoking households have a proclivity to asthma, ear and lung infections.
"The high levels of public (and smoker) support for smoke-free car laws found in the studies to date suggest that this can be a relatively non- controversial tobacco control intervention," she said.
Dr. Brown concluded, "Recent research by ASH Ireland (MRBI 2007) shows 79% public support for this initiative. The Irish Government has set the trend all around the world on tobacco health legislation and has received deserved recognition both at home and abroad. This initiative to protect children's health, while travelling in motor vehicles would be widely welcomed - who could argue with it? We now ask the Government to proceed and legislate for this health initiative."

Source: Inside Ireland - 16 February