Fresh welcomes laws stopping smoking in cars carrying children moving closer
FRESH today welcomed a law to protect children from being exposed to smoking in cars moving a step closer – but has also called for a pledge to make cigarette packs less attractive to children.
It comes as the Regulations prohibiting smoking in cars with children were laid before Parliament today so they can be voted on before the General Election and put in place from 1st October 2015.
The British Lung Foundation estimates 430,000 children are forced to breathe secondhand smoke in their family car every week. A law is likely to reduce levels of exposure – when seatbelt laws were introduced in 1983 compliance rates jumped from 25% to over 90%. In the North East, around 13,000 youngsters are estimated to need hospital or GP treatment every year from breathing in other people’s smoke.
There is already widespread support for smokefree cars when children are present, both among the public and MPs. A poll conducted in March by YouGov for ASH found that 84% of North East adults agreed smoking should be prohibited in cars carrying children younger than 18.
Lisa Surtees, Acting Director of Fresh, said: “It is really important we give children legal protection from smoking in cars. Breathing in smoke is not their choice and children’s developing lungs are especially vulnerable to smoke.
“Too many children in the North East are exposed to smoke, leading to short term health problems like asthma and glue ear, headaches, coughs and nausea.
“Even opening a window does not protect from the poisons in tobacco smoke, which can linger for a long time after you can see it or smell it.”
But Fresh has also called on the Government to make an announcement on plain, standardized tobacco packaging which appears to be no closer, despite both votes receiving an overwhelming majority in Parliament earlier this year, including support from most North East MPs.
Fresh says a delay in implementing plain, standardised tobacco packaging could mean more children will be tempted to smoke, get hooked, and die a tragically early death like 48-year-old Michelle Barthram from Gateshead, who started smoking aged just 13.
Michelle’s story, filmed just two months before her death, has been featured on YouTube. In herfinal message she urged smokers to quit and spoke of her desire that smoking could one day become a thing of the past.
Lisa added: “We are urging the Government to move on making cigarette packs less attractive to children and introduce standardised packs before the general election.
“Any delay will mean more children will be tempted to smoke and get hooked, with more people like Michelle dying in the future needlessly early.”
A new consultation also proposes stopping the sale of nicotine inhaling products, including e-cigarettes, to under-18s. The rules would also make it an offence for an adult to buy e-cigarettes for a child.
The regulations would apply to nicotine inhaling devices which include e-cigarettes, nicotine refill cartridges and nicotine liquids. Products that are licensed as medicines by the MHRA are not included.