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| Call to ban child-in-car smoking | Call to ban child-in-car smoking |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Smoking should be banned in cars when children are passengers, the new head of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has said. | Smoking should be banned in cars when children are passengers, the new head of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has said. |
| In a BBC News website Scrubbing Up column, Professor Terence Stephenson, said children deserved protection. | In a BBC News website Scrubbing Up column, Professor Terence Stephenson, said children deserved protection. |
| "You can't inflict this on your colleagues any more. Why should we treat our children's health as a lower priority?" he said. | |
| A Department of Health spokesman said it would review smoking laws next year. | A Department of Health spokesman said it would review smoking laws next year. |
| Read Professor Stephenson's column here | Read Professor Stephenson's column here |
| Professor Stephenson, who recently took over as head of the college, said children should not have to breathe in their parents' cigarette smoke. | Professor Stephenson, who recently took over as head of the college, said children should not have to breathe in their parents' cigarette smoke. |
| "Why on earth would you light up in your car whilst your children are sitting happily in the back? | "Why on earth would you light up in your car whilst your children are sitting happily in the back? |
| "On the assumption that you wouldn't pass the packet round and invite the kids to light up, why make them breathe tobacco smoke at all?" | "On the assumption that you wouldn't pass the packet round and invite the kids to light up, why make them breathe tobacco smoke at all?" |
| He said the Canadian province of New Brunswick, California, South Australia and Cyprus had already introduced such legislation successfully. | He said the Canadian province of New Brunswick, California, South Australia and Cyprus had already introduced such legislation successfully. |
| And Professor Stephenson said second-hand smoke had been linked to chest infections, asthma and ear problems in children. | And Professor Stephenson said second-hand smoke had been linked to chest infections, asthma and ear problems in children. |
| 'Impractical suggestion' | 'Impractical suggestion' |
| Deborah Arnott, chief executive of the anti-smoking charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), backed a complete ban on smoking in vehicles. | Deborah Arnott, chief executive of the anti-smoking charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), backed a complete ban on smoking in vehicles. |
| Cars are small tin boxes, with not much air in them Deborah Arnott, ASH | Cars are small tin boxes, with not much air in them Deborah Arnott, ASH |
| "Cars are small tin boxes, with not much air in them. | "Cars are small tin boxes, with not much air in them. |
| "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 a bar. | "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 a bar. |
| "That's not just bad for children but for adults too, especially those who already have heart or lung diseases." | "That's not just bad for children but for adults too, especially those who already have heart or lung diseases." |
| And a spokeswoman for the road safety charity, Brake, said smoking while driving meant people were not concentrating on the road. | And a spokeswoman for the road safety charity, Brake, said smoking while driving meant people were not concentrating on the road. |
| "All that can add up to not having proper control of your vehicle or dangerous driving." | "All that can add up to not having proper control of your vehicle or dangerous driving." |
| She said it might be useful to have a law banning smoking in the same way there was in force regarding using hand-held mobile phones. | She said it might be useful to have a law banning smoking in the same way there was in force regarding using hand-held mobile phones. |
| But Neil Rafferty, Scottish spokesman for Forest, the pro-smokers' rights group, said: "We don't think that children should be exposed to smoke in a car but a ban would be a waste of police and court time. | But Neil Rafferty, Scottish spokesman for Forest, the pro-smokers' rights group, said: "We don't think that children should be exposed to smoke in a car but a ban would be a waste of police and court time. |
| "Would it be OK if you opened the sunroof or a window while smoking? It's an impractical suggestion. | "Would it be OK if you opened the sunroof or a window while smoking? It's an impractical suggestion. |
| "People like those at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health should be more realistic about what is possible." | "People like those at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health should be more realistic about what is possible." |
| A Department of Health spokesman said it would look at whether current anti-smoking laws needed to be extended. | A Department of Health spokesman said it would look at whether current anti-smoking laws needed to be extended. |
| He added: "We would always strongly recommend that people do not smoke in cars, especially those used to transport children." | He added: "We would always strongly recommend that people do not smoke in cars, especially those used to transport children." |