Should Smoking Be Banned In Cars?

Many drivers view their car as an extension of their own personal space, with a car often being a person’s most valuable possession after their house. On a subconscious level a car is viewed as a portable, personal home and a powerful exterior statement of our personal identity and sense of liberty.



On a practical level this means that a person driving their car will act as if they were in their own personal space. Psychologists have confirmed that people in cars have a lower threshold for hostility than those outside of a car. This is because on a subconscious level a motorist thinks of their car as their territory.



For passengers, this can result in being subjected to some thoughtless behaviour. At its most harmless, it could be the temperature of the car being set at too high a level, or the music being too loud. At its worst though, it could see a driver light up a cigarette, forcing others to breathe in second-hand smoke because they are too embarrassed to actually complain.



Smoking in cars can produce high levels of concentrated second-hand smoke and result in exposure to fine particulate matter. Particulate matter is very small matter that can reach deep inside the lungs and cause considerable damage.



Recently, Stanford University in America conducted tests and showed the extent of this damage. Within seconds of a cigarette being lit, the car’s air quality exceeded hazardous air quality limits, with readings well over 250-500 mg/nm3 and the toxicity remaining high several minutes after the cigarette had been extinguished. In Canada, the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit showed that with drivers smoking just one cigarette, the pollution inside the car was 100 times greater than the US Environmental Protection Agency accepted standard for fine particle exposure.



It is for this reason that the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health recently issued a statement pushing for a ban on smoking in cars with children. In Ireland, the anti-smoking group Ash Ireland has also recently reiterated its call for a ban on smoking in cars transporting children under 16 years of age.



Whilst there is good reason for these proposals, there is a sense that in some ways the government would be crossing a line by implementing this, and that attempts to pass such legislation would be a violation of one’s own privacy.



However, may believe that children should never be exposed to second hand smoke. After all, you can repair most damage to a car, such as stained seats or a cracked windshield but the consequences of second hand smoke inhalation in young children can result in a lifetime of health problems.



Isla Campbell writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.