
Ban smoking in cars with
children: Ontario doctors
CBC News, Thursday, October 14, 2004
Drivers should not be allowed to smoke in their
vehicles if they have children as passengers,
says the Ontario Medical Association in a new
report on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
The report, Exposure to Second-hand Smoke:
Are We Protecting Our Kids?, looks at how
second-hand smoke in vehicles and the home
continues to harm children's health despite
moves to reduce smoking in public spaces.
"This report will lead the way in taking action
against [second-hand smoke] in spaces that children
should feel safe and protected," said Dr. John Rapin,
president of the association, which represents the
province's physicians. "Physicians see the harmful
effects of second-hand smoke on children every day.
"It is even harder knowing that the illnesses they
suffer can be prevented."
The OMA says a number of studies have shown that
second-hand smoke affects a child's health, increasing
the risks of respiratory illnesses including asthma,
bronchitis and pneumonia. It also increases the risks of
sudden infant death syndrome, and of cancer and heart
disease in adulthood.
"Children are especially at risk to the effects of
[second-hand smoke] because they are still physically
developing and have higher breathing rates than adults,"
said Dr. Ted Boadway, an OMA director. "Further,
children have little control over their indoor
environments."
The association says governments such as the province
of Ontario should be applauded for banning smoking in
public places, but it should do more.
The report cites bills that have been introduced in
the states of Georgia and New Hampshire that would allow
police to pull over and fine a driver for smoking while
a child is in the car.
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