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BHF - The hard road to a smoking ban in cars

An infringement of civil liberties or vital protection for children's health, BHF's policy officer Joseph Clift unpicks the debate.

A man’s home is his castle. Although perhaps that should be extended to his car given the furious reaction in some quarters of the public and media to proposals by the British Medical Association (BMA) to ban drivers from lighting up.

The BMA’s report published this week highlights the increased risks to health of smoking in an enclosed space like a car. Research studies have shown that the concentration of toxins in a smoke-filled vehicle could be up to 11 times greater than that of a smoky bar. And residual toxins have been shown to remain in the car seats continuing to pose a health danger even after the cigarette has been put out. These dangers prompted the BMA to call for legislation to stop all people from smoking in vehicles.

Civil liberties

A number of commentators have been quick to criticise the idea of any laws limiting smoking in cars, suggesting that this would represent an erosion of our civil liberties. But that freedom of choice, for us, is the crux of the issue.

A child sat in the back of their parent’s car can’t choose whether to be there or not when their parent is smoking. They may also, depending on how old they are, be blissfully unaware that the smoke they’re breathing in is damaging their health. Who, in those instances, is protecting the civil liberties of a child?

We currently place more importance on worker’s rights than those of children who are far more vulnerable.

The dangers of passive smoking have been known for a long time. Non-smokers living in the home of a smoker have a 30% greater risk of getting heart disease. It’s why we argued for the introduction of smoke free legislation like banning smoking in pubs and bars.

One of the key arguments supporting the ban on smoking in pubs was the need to protect the health of workers whose jobs put them in smoke filled environments. You could call it an anomaly, or even an absurdity, that we currently place more importance on worker’s rights than those of children who are far more vulnerable.

Familiar arguments

The passionate objections we hear today are familiar to the ones heard before the ban on smoking in pubs was brought in. Since it came into effect across the UK in 2007, clearing the clouds of cigarette smoke from pubs and restaurants has proven very popular with the general public.

It has also succeeded in greatly reducing our exposure to second hand smoke. And, while the health benefits will really occur in the long-term, there’s already evidence that it’s resulting in a reduction in heart problems and heart attacks.

As the media coverage this week has shown, the debate on smoking in cars will continue to be a loud and noisy one. But it makes it all the more important that our argument to protect children is heard.

 
 
 

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