Smokers in London are being given one more reason to quit as new government laws come into force on Thursday (October 1) which make it illegal for anyone to smoke in vehicles with children present.
The new law is designed to help protect children in London and the rest of the country from the dangers of second-hand smoke.
Under the ban, both the driver and the smoker can be fined £50 if anyone smokes in a vehicle with a person who is under 18.
There is broad public support for the measure in London with a recent Smokefree GB survey revealing that ending smoking in cars with children is supported by 82% of adults in the city.
The law comes in as new ONS data reveals smoking rates in London are the lowest since records began at just 17% in 2014 - just below the national rate of 18%.
Experiments also show that even with a window open levels of dangerous chemicals caused by the cigarettes were more than 100 times higher than recommended safety guidelines. This doubles to 200 when windows are closed.
Dr Yvonne Doyle, regional director for Public Health England in London, said: “Over 80% of second-hand smoke is invisible and odourless. Many parents aren’t aware of the high levels of dangerous chemicals that their children are subjected to if they smoke near them, especially in enclosed spaces.
“This new experiment unearths shocking data, reinforcing that smoking in vehicles with a child is never safe. Even with the window down you are still putting your child at risk of developing serious health conditions.”
Smokers wishing to quit are encouraged to take part in Stoptober, the country’s 28-day mass quit attempt developed by Public Health England, which also began on Thursday.
To sign up to the nation’s biggest mass quit attempt and the thousands of people all quitting together, search Stoptober online or visit http://smokefree.nhs.uk/stoptober.
