ASH Ireland launch campaign to BAN Smoking in Cars Transporting Children

Date: 28 January 2008

ASH Ireland launches campaign to
BAN Smoking in Cars Transporting Children

ASH Ireland today launched a campaign to have smoking banned in cars, which are transporting children under 16 years of age.

Many countries have introduced such a ban, to include three Australian Regions and several states in the U.S. In Canada, British Columbia and Ontario they have introduced a ban – and in Europe the practice is banned in Cyprus and under consideration in the Netherlands. Other regions and countries, such as South Africa, are also planning to introduce legislation to protect children from tobacco smoke in cars.

Dr. Angie Brown, Chairperson of ASH Ireland said today, “ASH Ireland would much prefer a total ban on smoking in cars as it is such an unhealthy practice. As an interim measure we have urged the Minister for Health and Children to ban smoking in cars transporting children under 16 years of age”

There is an abundance of evidence to show that passive smoke is particularly harmful to children. A 1992 study (Langar L., Switser P) shows that passive smoke can reach very high levels in motor vehicles. This combined with the fact the children have much higher respiratory rates and metabolism than adults makes exposure to passive smoke in vehicles a serious problem for children. ASH Ireland is strongly of the view that if we protect adults by banning smoking in the workplace we must protect children by banning smoking in cars, which they need and use for transport.

It should also be noted that the state of Colorado, in banning smoking in cars carrying children, based its decision on evidence, which showed that a car can be significantly more toxic than a house in the context of passive smoke.

Dr Angie Brown went on to say, “ There is significant evidence to show that children exposed to passive smoke are much more likely to develop asthma and lung infections. The Royal College of Physicians in London published evidence in 2005 which added to the substantial body of evidence which shows that passive smoke is harmful for children - especially in the early years of development”.

ASH Ireland holds the view that this proposed ban, which is solely designed to protect children should be introduced and can be introduced in the coming months – and in doing so the Government would again be following international best practice on tobacco/health related issues.

Dr Brown added, “We urge adults who transport children in cars not to smoke either while the children are in the cars or not. Children are unlikely to ask adults to stop smoking – so we must take this important decision out of their hands”
ENDS

Further information contact:
Wally Young, Young Communications, 01 6680530, 087 247 1520
ASH Ireland, 01-2310521

N.B. Anyone who would like advice or information on quitting smoking can contact the National Smokers' Quitline on 1850 201 203.

Note to Editors

1. Currently legislation banning smoking in cars while carrying children has been introduced as follows:

Australia - in Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria

U.S.A - in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Puerto Rico, Bangor ME, Keyport NJ, Rockland County NY.

Canada - in British Columbia and Ontario

Europe – in Cyprus

Plans to introduce legislation in the following:

U.S - in Arizona, Indiana, Kansas, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Maine, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, West Virginia

Europe – in Netherlands

The Republic of South Africa

2. Smoking Ban legislation prohibiting smoking in the Irish workplace was introduced on 29th March 2004. This measure has been an unprecedented success.

3. In a recent demonstration in Stanford University it was established that within a minute of a volunteer lighting a cigarette in a car, sensors detected airborne toxins 30 times higher than the level at which the EPA(US) would advise people to stay indoors in Los Angeles.

4. In the context of a recent debate on this issue in the U.S, Dr Elizabeth Secord of Michigan, a Specialist on Asthma said, “It’s well established that children raised in smoking households have increased risks of developing asthma, ear and lung infections and colds.”

5. A 14 year study on the effects of smoking on children published by the Medical Journal of Australia (Professor Pete Sly and colleagues at University of Western Australia) can be viewed at www.mja.com.au


The Irish Cancer Society and Irish Heart Foundation fund ASH Ireland