Charity calls for smoking ban in cars
by Sarah HowardThe British Lung Foundation has called for a complete smoking ban for adults carrying children in their car.
Commissioning a survey, the Foundation studied 1,000 parents on popular forum site Mumsnet, of whom 86 per cent stated that they would support an in-car smoking ban. The survey found that 13 per cent of parent's admitted to smoking in the car with their children, with the same figure believing that this would not present a threat to their children's health.
The Foundation has argued that a ban would reduce asthma figures amongst the young and increase the amount of people seeking to give up smoking. Though there are various methods available to those looking to quit, some of the most successful ways to break the habit include fully supported therapies such as counselling, group therapy or stop smoking hypnotherapy. The latter can halt cravings, breaking the vicious cycle of need by appealing to the subconscious part of the brain.
Dame Helena Shovelton, chief executive of the charity, commented to Staff Nurse: ''Smoking just one cigarette, even with the window open, creates a greater concentration of second-hand smoke than a whole evening's smoking in a pub or bar. A ban on smoking in the car with children would prevent some 22,000 new cases each year of asthma, caused as a direct result of passive smoking.''
According to Wales Online, bans on smoking in cars with children have already been applied in many parts of the US and Australia. In Canada, drivers face a $250 fine if they are caught lighting up whilst carrying child passengers.
