CIEH welcomes new smoke-free legislation around cars carrying children.

The CIEH supports the proposals for a prohibition on smoking in private vehicles when children are being conveyed as a necessary measure to further protect them against the health effects of adults smoking. The existing smoke-free legislation already protects children when they are travelling in all forms of public transport and it is entirely sensible that they should also be protected when travelling in private vehicles, whether they are being driven by their parents and family members or anyone else.

Ian Gray, CIEH Principal Policy Officer, said:

“Polls have shown that the vast majority of people already understand that the confined enclosed space of a motor vehicle is one of the worst places to smoke and the last place that you would want your children to be exposed to other people’s smoking. The regulations will not come into force until 1 October 2015 and the CIEH will be supporting publicity campaigns. It is anticipated that these will increase voluntary compliance and therefore the need for enforcement action will be limited.”

The CIEH recognises that dealing with offences under this legislation will not be without problems and we support the government’s intention that enforcement will mainly be the responsibility of local police who will be able to use their existing powers to stop vehicles and require drivers and passengers to identify themselves. However, we anticipate that local authorities will also want to authorize some of their own officers so that they can take part in campaigns to promote compliance and deal with offences when information and advice fail to have effect.

Graham Jukes, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, said:

“We are delighted that the Government is to press ahead with regulations to prohibit smoking in cars when children are present. As with the smokefree public places law, this is a popular measure that will largely be self-enforcing. However, secondhand smoke is just as harmful to adults as children and it makes it more difficult to enforce if it only applies to some cars not all. Seatbelt laws don’t just apply to children, why should smokefree car laws?”

The CIEH has previously stated that smoking should be considered to be a ‘driver distraction’ as is eating or drinking at the wheel or using a mobile phone, and that an additional measure for Government to consider would be a total prohibition on drivers smoking in any motor vehicle on the grounds that smoking constitutes a hazard to safe driving. The Regulations include a provision for the Secretary of State to review the operation and effect of these Regulations and publish a report within the period of five years beginning with when the Regulations come into force.