Car smoke ban

I WELCOME the joint statement by the first minister and minister for health and social services that the Welsh Government is preparing to legislate to ban smoking in cars carrying children. I have been putting pressure on the Welsh Labour Government to act on the overwhelming medical evidence about the harm to children caused by passive smoking for a considerable time and I look forward to legislation now. The British Lung Foundation is clear that the effect on children of passive smoking in a confined area such as a car or van is very harmful. In fact, 82 per cent of the public said they supported prohibition of smoking in cars carrying children and the same percentage said they would comply with a ban if one was introduced. This law will not be an assault on adults’ freedom to smoke. It will be a law upholding the rights of children to be free from harm.