Parents urged to help protect children from smoky cars

Parents urged to help protect children from smoky cars

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An online campaign launched today is urging parents to protect their children from cigarette smoke within the enclosed confines of the car, by calling for legislation to protect children from secondhand smoke in cars.

The film, starring Neil Fitzmaurice, best known for his roles in the comedies Peep Show and Phoenix Nights, and Jazmine Franks from the Channel 4 drama Hollyoaks, highlights that many young people are too frightened to speak up about their parents or other adults smoking in a car.

The video, produced jointly by North West based, Tobacco Free Futures and the British Lung Foundation (BLF) is part of a wider campaign calling for legislation to make all cars carrying children smoke-free.

The issue is due to be debated in the House of Lords in the New Year as part of the Children and Families Bill.

Hollyoaks actress Jazmine Franks who plays character Esther Bloom said: “I’m sure a lot of people think that as long as the window is open the cigarette smoke is not doing any harm to other passengers in the car, especially children, but it’s not safe and it isn’t fair that children have to breathe it in.”

Wendy Meston, Public health Lead for Greater Manchester, said: “Second hand smoke has been shown to cause a range of health problems in children including chest infections, increased risk of asthma, cot death, glue ear and middle ear infections.

"I urge all adults to protect children by not smoking in cars and homes. The only way to protect children is to not smoke in enclosed places such as cars.

"Children when asked usually say they would like their spaces to be smoke free so let’s listen to what our children want and need.

“We want to highlight this issue with parents in our communities and give local people a chance to have their say on whether we should act on behalf of children and ban smoking in cars.”

Viewers can vote online in support of a law to protect children from second hand smoke when they are travelling in a car and contact their local MP urging them to take action.

The fresh call for legislation follows recent research by BLF which shows that more than 430,000 children, aged 11-15, in England are exposed to secondhand smoke in family cars at least once a week. In September the BLF produced two videos starring actors Linda Robson and David Harewood. At the end of the videos viewers were asked to vote for or against a ban and of those who voted, 90% voted in favour.

In a 2010 survey for Tobacco Free Futures 84% of residents in Greater Manchester agreed that smoking should be banned in cars that are carrying children younger than 18 years of age.

Andrea Crossfield, Chief Executive of Tobacco Free Futures said: “Second hand smoke in cars is dangerous and can be up to 11 times the levels you would find in a smoky room. Plus over 80% of this deadly smoke is invisible.

"We urge people to watch and share the video, and to get in touch with their MP asking them to support legislation. Opening a window won’t protect children, smokefree cars will.”

Dr Penny Woods, Chief Executive of the British Lung Foundation, said: “We know that second hand smoke is particularly dangerous to young people within the enclosed confines of a car, even when the window is open or the air conditioning is on. However, our research has shown that when an adult smokes in a car with them, less than a third of young people ask them to stop, with over a third feeling too frightened or embarrassed to do so.

“This is not acceptable. If young people aren’t able to protect themselves against this danger, the government has a duty to do so by banning smoking in cars with young passengers”.

In the North West second-hand smoke results in at least 34,000 GP visits and over 1,100 emergency admissions to hospital each year.