When you smoke in the car, so do they
Are you a passionate mother with something to say? Do you feel strongly about the fact that in Britain it’s still legal to light up and smoke a cigarette in a car in front of children?
If you answered yes to any of the questions above and want to help the British Lung Foundation to persuade the Government to protect children once and for all, then you can make a huge difference by writing to your MP with help from your child to show the politicians that enough is enough.
The BLF has secured support from all parties and with your help, they are determined to get a commitment by the Public Health Minister or Secretary of State for Health to commence a behaviour change campaign to reduce the health risk to children caused by passive smoking in cars, over the next two years children’s exposure will be monitored with a view that if it isn’t reduced, legislation will become a serious consideration by 2013.
Every year over 300,000 children in the UK go to their GPs with illnesses such as bronchitis and pneumonia as a result of being exposed to passive smoking.
Smoking around children in the car is particularly dangerous as it is such a confined space. Over half of children aged 8 – 15 say they have been exposed to cigarette smoke in the car. Research by the University of Aberdeen has shown that smoking in a car exposes children to the same levels of smoke in a busy smoke filled pub.
You and you children can help highlight these shocking statistics by writing to your local MP to encourage them to alert the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health, Anne Milton with a view to ensure a proper evaluation of the behaviour change programme in England, and to commit to legislation if it is not successful.
Tagged in Health Parenting children children's health Smokers