Parents who smoke around children ‘are irresponsible’

HEALTH minister Dr James Reilly has described as “irresponsible” parents who smoke in the presence of children despite knowing it causes cancer and death.

The minister, who hopes to introduce legislation banning smoking in cars where children are passengers as early as next year said: “I don’t think anyone in their right mind could agree that smoking with a child in a car is a sensible, wise, moral or ethical thing to do. You’re exposing them to sidestream smoke which is known to be even more carcinogenic than the smoke you inhale.”

The suggestion to ban smoking in cars where children are passengers was first raised during a Seanad adjournment debate on July 13, when Senator John Crown, a cancer specialist at St Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin, described parents smoking in cars as a “form of child abuse”.

“Children are more vulnerable than adults to the effects of cigarette smoke for two reasons. First, they breathe more quickly... As a result, there is a greater exchange of chemicals into a child’s system per minute than would be the case with an adult,” Professor Crown said.

“Second, their weight is smaller and therefore they have a higher amount of exposure per kilogram of body weight.

“The issue of choice arises as well. An adult who is a non-smoker can choose to be in the company of smokers or to ask them to stop. Children often do not have that choice. Infants, by definition, never have that choice.”

Prof Crown said when a cigarette is lit in a car with the windows closed, within a minute the measurable occupational level of toxic emissions is “30 times higher than the level at which the US Environmental Protection Agency advises people to flee the streets, go into their homes and close their windows”.

Dr Reilly acknowledged that Prof Crown had “started the debate” and that it needed to continue, but that he was in favour of legislation “as early as I can next year”. However the minister is not in favour of a total ban in cars.

Dr Reilly said he rejected the argument made in some quarters that smokers are responsible people who will not light up in cars with children. He said he also rejected the claim that any such legislation would represent an unnecessary intrusion in peoples’ private lives

“I mean it’s one thing to harm your own health, it’s another thing to harm the health of a minor,” Dr Reilly said.

“I don’t think anyone could stand over that morally and let’s face it, we see it everyday in traffic, we see parents smoking with children caught in baby seats in the back, no escape from a carcinogen, it’s highly wrong.”

The Irish Cancer Society welcomed the move and said that any legislation must be supported by a strong educational and awareness campaign that highlights the health hazards of smoking with children present.