Parents in Wales get smoking 'nudge' to protect children in cars

6th February 2012 - Parents and carers in Wales who smoke are being told to stub out before they get into a car carrying children in a new campaign launched this week.

Experts are worried about the high levels of toxic chemicals that can accumulate in the confined space of a car which they say is dangerous for the health of passengers, particularly children.

Last year the Welsh Government warned that it would consider changing the law to ban smoking in cars carrying children unless parents kicked the habit.

A fresh start

Launching the Government's initiative, 'Fresh Start Wales', Dr Tony Jewell, the chief medical officer for Wales, tells BootsWebMD: "I don't think Wales is any worse than other places, but we know from surveying children that something like 20% of 11 to 16 year olds report being exposed to second-hand smoke from cars."

Figures show that the problem is even worse for children from least affluent households, where they are more than twice as likely to travel in a car with someone smoking than those from more affluent backgrounds.

Wales has led the way with anti-smoking measures. It was the first country in the UK to propose smoke-free work places and recently banned cigarette vending machines.

Confined space

Dr Jewell says there are good medical reasons why they should target cars next. "The reason for cars is they are a very enclosed space," he says, "and research done by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, for example, has demonstrated that the particulate levels are extremely high in cars; they can well exceed safety limits, and they remain very high even after the cigarette's been put out."

The chief medical officer says there is one key message they want to get across to people: "Smoking in your car poisons your children."

Threat of a ban

The Welsh Government hopes it can 'nudge' smoking parents and those who care for children to heed the advice. However, last year the First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, announced that the Welsh Government would consider pursuing a ban on smoking in cars carrying children if their exposure to second-hand smoke in vehicles did not start to fall within the next three years.

Smoking in cars carrying children has already been banned in six states in Australia, with a seventh due to follow suit in May this year. Nine out of 10 provinces in Canada and five states in the US have banned smoking in private vehicles.

Helping launch the campaign in Wales, Carwyn Jones said in a statement: "Wales was the first UK country to vote in favour of a ban on smoking in public places and if necessary we will not shy away from considering legislation to further protect children from second-hand smoke.

"A ban on smoking in cars carrying children will be considered later in this five-year term of Government if smoking levels do not reduce as a result of the campaign. We have commissioned research to measure levels of smoking in cars and public attitudes towards it, which will be revisited throughout the campaign to evaluate its success."

The first phase of the campaign will feature on local radio, billboards, bus-backs and bus shelters as well as a dedicated Fresh Start website.