Canadian Research Supports ASH Ireland Campaign to ban smoking in cars with children under 16yrs

Date: 26 March 2008

Canadian Research Supports ASH Ireland Campaign ….

Research published in Canada this week strongly supports a recent campaign launched by ASH Ireland to have smoking banned in cars, which transport children under 16 years of age. The research was conducted by the University of Waterloo in Ontario and published by the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit. Research available on www.otru.org
Dr. Angie Brown, Chair of ASH Ireland said today, “This comprehensive report published in Canada today identifies environmental tobacco smoke in cars as ‘a serious public health threat’. The Canadian experiment focussed on drivers smoking just one cigarette - and yet the pollution generated inside the vehicle was 100 times greater than the U.S Environmental Protection Agency accepted standard for fine particle exposure. This research is important as it confirms other similar studies and again highlights the need for our Government to take action on this issue – as ASH Ireland has already requested”

Interestingly the Canadian researchers compared their finding to a study of smoke related pollution (PM2.5) in Irish pubs and restaurants prior to the introduction on our smoking ban. The Canadian study shows pollution in cars from only one cigarette to be 11 times greater than that found in the study of Irish pubs.

Dr Angie Brown went on to say; “we have recently noted a disappointingly negative response from the Department of Health and Children on the issue of banning smoking in cars which are transporting children. This is most surprising - as we are dealing with an issue which impacts directly on the health of children – and an issue which is being addressed positively in several jurisdictions on several continents”

ENDS

Further information,
ASH Ireland – 01-2310521
Wally Young, Young Communications – 087-2471520/01-6680530
The Irish Cancer Society and Irish Heart Foundation fund ASH Ireland