Smoking in cars with children is over in New Zealand
June 3, 2020
Par: communication@cnct.fr
Dernière mise à jour: June 3, 2020
Temps de lecture: 2 minutes
In New Zealand, a bill banning smoking in vehicles when children under 18 are inside has been passed.[1]Although this new regulation will not be effective for 18 months, it provides for fines of up to $50 (around 30 euros).
This new legislation, voted by a large majority and transcending partisan divides, is a significant step forward in public health. It helps protect children from passive smoking, and even ultra-passive smoking: we now know that smoke particles accumulate in cars, even when the windows are open.
Deputy Minister for Health Jenny Salesa said she was committed to furthering the country's commitment to tobacco control: "We want to make New Zealand the best place in the world for children. We are moving towards this goal by putting children's interests first."
These provisions, already adopted in France, Scotland and England, represent a real public health issue, since they both reduce the exposure of young people to passive smoking and contribute to reducing the risk of starting to smoke when they are effectively applied.
Largely underestimated, the health impact of passive smoking is disastrous: each year, 1.2 million non-smokers die worldwide from diseases caused by the passive smoking[2], and 60,000 children die from respiratory diseases caused by other people's smoking[3]Those who survive to adulthood are more likely to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) later in life.
[1] RNZ, Bill banning smoking in cars with children inside passes, May 27, 2020
[2] WHO, Tobacco Fact Sheet, July 26, 2019
https://www.who.int/fr/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tobacco
[3] World Health Organization, “WHO warns of widespread deaths from tobacco-related lung disease,” May 29, 2019
