Call to ban smoking in cars with children

Wednesday, 17 June 2009 12:00 AM

By politics.co.uk staff

Adults should be banned from smoking in cars with children in, the new boss of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has said.

"You can't inflict this on your colleagues any more. Why should we treat our children's health as a lower priority?" Professor Terence Stephenson said.

"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?"

A ban on the practise is already in place in California and South Australia.

A Department of Health spokesman said it was investigating whether new tobacco laws were needed.

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