by Julie Fidler via
Natural Society
Smoking in your car with children present will soon be illegal in England and Wales due to the awful health
effects of smoking for
exposed youngsters. In Wales, a campaign was recently launched to
educate people about the ban, which is set to go into effect October 1.
Billboards and posters are popping up all over the nation, warning
citizens that adults who get caught exposing youngsters to second-hand
smoke in their vehicles will face an immediate fine of £50 (about $77 in
U.S. dollars). Public service announcements concerning the ban will
start receiving airtime on local radio stations, all in an effort to
protect children under 18. [1]
As of October 1, it will also be illegal for retailers to sell
e-cigarettes or liquid nicotine to someone under age 18, or to purchase
or attempt to purchase tobacco or e-cigarettes for someone under 18.
All private, enclosed vehicles will be required to be smoke-free if
someone under 18 is present. It will be considered an offense to go
against the ban.
The rules don’t apply to e-cigarettes, and smoking in a convertible is OK. [2]
The Department of Health said the ban was implemented because:
“Every time a child breathes in secondhand smoke, they
breathe in thousands of chemicals. This puts them at risk of serious
conditions, such as meningitis, cancer and respiratory infections such
as bronchitis and pneumonia. It can also make asthma worse.
Secondhand smoke is dangerous for anyone, but children are especially
vulnerable, because they breathe more rapidly and have less developed
airways, lungs and immune systems. Over 80 per cent of cigarette smoke
is invisible and opening windows does not remove its harmful effect.
The law is changing to protect children and young people from such harm.”
Recent studies have found that a large minority of children are still
being exposed to second-hand smoke in cars. Seventeen percent of
children from poor families said that smoking was allowed in the car in
their presence compared to only 7% of those from more affluent families.
[3]
The Welsh Government/Government Social Research found that, overall,
9% of children said smoking was allowed in the family car; 20% of
children with a parent who smokes said smoking was allowed in the car;
and children from lower-income families were twice as likely to say they
were exposed to smoking in a car “sometimes” or “daily.” [4]
Lawmakers and health experts hope the new law will not only protect
more children, but convince adults to make better lifestyle choices,
too.
“This is an opportunity for some people to change their
lives for the better. With one less place to smoke, there’s one more
reason to quit, and we will continue to provide support and advice for
those who want to achieve this,” said Health and Social Services
Minister Mark Drakeford.
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Additional Sources:
[1]
BBC News
[2]
Southern Daily Echo
[3]
South Wales Evening Post
[4]
Welsh Government
