New Smokefree Cars Campaign Launched Ahead Of Legislation Banning Smoking
In Cars Carrying Kids

NHS England has started a new campaign this week, aimed at those who smoke and have children. Specifically aimed at those who take their kids out in their cars and who also smoke in the car.

The campaign's series of adverts, all available on Youtube, highlight passive smoking in children and illustrates the fact that smoke travels in all directions and that it is often invisible to the naked eye. As a result, even smoking at a window will not stop the carcinogens and other respiratory damaging chemicals present in the smoke from cigarettes. The issue of e-cigarettes is not mentioned in the ads.

NHS England states:

"The adverts dramatise the fact that over 80% of secondhand smoke is invisible and odourless, making it impossible to control. So, even if you smoke near an open window or door, the smoke can travel and harm others.

The campaign encourages smokers to order a free Smokefree Kit by searching 'Smokefree'. The Kit provides additional information on the harms of secondhand smoke as well as giving smokers tools to help them make their home and car smokefree, along with information and support on quitting."

Visit https://quitnow.smokefree.nhs.uk/ for free support.

With regard to legislation being proposed to ban smoking in cars with child passengers, the government has now published its response to the consultation exercise which resulted in 201 responses.

In February 2014, Parliament voted in favour of legislation that gave the Secretary of State powers to bring forward regulations to make private vehicles carrying children smokefree. These regulation-making powers are at Section 95 of the Children and Families Act 2014.

Under the proposed regulations, existing smokefree legislation as set out in the Health Act 2006 will be extended, so that it would be an offence to:

• smoke in a private vehicle with someone under age 18 present; and
• fail to prevent smoking in a private vehicle with someone under age 18 present.

The Gov repsonse to the consultation document can be downloaded here in PDF format along with the proposed legislative changes being proposed document in PDF format here

Both documents will remain accessible from the E-Library Database under the category of 'Social Issues (Health & Wellbeing)'.

Source: NHS England / Youtube / Gov UK

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