Smoking to be banned in cars when a child is present

The Government Department of Health have announced a new law on smoking and driving which will come into place on the 1st of October 2015. From the beginning of next month, it will be illegal to smoke in a car (or any other vehicle) with anyone under 18 in the vehicle.

The law is being created to protect young people from second hand smoke. If the driver, of any age, is caught smoking with an under 18 year old in the car, they could be fined £50. The law also states that even if windows are open or the smoker is even sitting in the doorway, the penalty is still applicable. Only convertible cars with their roofs fully down will be exempt from punishment.

At Perpetuity, we have done research into innovative initiatives to tackle smoking, including an evaluation on the Leicester City STOP! Smoking Service ‘Smokefree Homes and Cars’ programme. This aimed to raise awareness of the dangers of second hand smoke, including highlighting that opening car windows does not protect children from second hand smoke. We evaluated the level of brand recognition created by the programme and whether the campaign successfully conveys the key messages in relation to second hand smoke.

For more information on our work in this area, please click here.