As a child, I remember sitting in the back of my father’s car as we travelled from our North Yorkshire home for our annual two-week summer holiday to the North Wales coast. The traffic was always horrendous and the journey could take 4 to 5 hours, sometimes in sweltering conditions.
However, what I recollect the most about the trip was my chain-smoking stepmother sat in the front passenger seat lighting up numerous Embassy Regal cigarettes. It was before the days of cars being equipped with air-conditioning so she would sometimes wind down her window a little to get rid of some of the smoke. Unfortunately, more of the tobacco smoke and smell seemed to drift towards the rear of the vehicle, no doubt to be inhaled by myself.
It is interesting to hear that the Government in the UK may be going to ban the smoking of cigarettes in cars if there is anyone below the age of 18 in the vehicle. The Department of Health (DoH) has submitted proposals to members of both the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
If those in Parliament vote in favour of smoking being banned in private vehicles when children are present, it is quite possible that, from the 1st October 2015, it will become a criminal offence for the likes of parents and other adults to smoke tobacco in such a situation. Back in 2007, smoking was banned in public places meaning that people could not smoke in the likes of restaurants and on buses and trains.
Based upon information provide by the British Lung Foundation, it is estimated that each week around 430,000 children are in family cars in which an adult is smoking. It is estimated that around 300,000 children in this country every year go to see their GP because of inhaling tobacco smoke produced by others and about 9,500 of them end up in hospital. Apparently, there is a strong link between tobacco smoke inhalation by children with the likes of ear problems, asthma and chest infections.
It is believed that such smoke has several thousand chemicals in it with some of them known to be the cause of cancer. Even if a window has been left open, smoke can still remain in the atmosphere for as much as 2 and ½ hours.
If the above becomes law, it is expected that those caught smoking in a vehicle or those failing to stop someone smoking in their vehicle carrying children will be fined £50. Smoking like this is already banned in certain parts of Australia, Canada and the USA.
A decision is expected to be made this year so watch this space for an update.
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