Smoking in cars is a form of child abuse, says leading GP

Professor Steve Field, chairman of the Royal College of GP's, said that parents who smoke in cars in front of children are "committing a form of child abuse".

As reported by The Daily Mail, the claim formed part of his attack in which he said Britons were condemning themselves to an early grave by eating too much, smoking and binge drinking.

In a letter to The Observer, he said that parents should take more responsibility for their children's health and set a good example.

The BBC reports that Professor Field said: "I suppose the same people [who smoke] also smoke at home in front of their children. Evidence from the US indicated that more young children are killed by parental smoking that by all other unintentional injuries combined."

He added: "The truth, which may be unpalatable to some, is that too many of us, too often, neglect too many aspects of our own personal health behaviour, and this is leading to increasing levels of ill-health and early death."

Professor Field said GP's are confronted "every day" with the results of smoking, excessive alcohol consumption "and the tsunami of obesity.''

Stop smoking hypnotherapy is one way in which parents can kick the habit if they are worried about the effect they're having on their children or themselves. Hypnotherapy deals with the subconscious urges that drive cravings for nicotine to help you eliminate them and have a smoke free family.

Professor Field was criticised by Tam Fry from the National Obesity Forum, who said that he was being incredibly "naive" by putting the blame on individuals, because many people don't have sufficient education to understand the impact of their unhealthy behaviours.