Smokers shown dangers of smoking while driving a car
SMOKERS have been warned that lighting up while driving risks passengers' health and a road accident.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Staffordshire Fire Service teamed up at the weekend to demonstrate the dangers at the Britannia Stadium.
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Firefighters filled a car with smoke on Saturday to show how quickly it can circulate in an enclosed space and affect passengers.
Event organisers said smoking a single cigarette in a car, even with the window open, significantly increased the amount of smoke passively inhaled by fellow passengers.
Claire McIver, from NHS Stoke-on-Trent, said that was a significant problem for children in the Potteries.
She said: "Passive smoking can lead to bronchitis, asthma, inner ear infections and even worsened behavioural problems and child development."
Claire said children regularly exposed to smoking in homes and cars were three times more likely to take up smoking themselves.
She added: "The best thing you can do to protect others from the dangers of passive smoking is make your home and car smoke-free."
The Sentinel has teamed up with NHS Stoke-on-Trent in a campaign to get 2,010 more people to kick the habit over the course of this year.
The Pack It In scheme encourages people to sign a pledge form promising they will give up smoking.
Jayne Hawe, the city council's principal environmental health officer, said a recent study carried out in the West Midlands showed how dangerous smoking in the car can be.
She said: "It found a child inhales three times the amount of smoke that would be considered safe to inhale over the course of a day.
"Even with the windows open it didn't make much difference.
"We've been talking to people about the dangers of smoking, particularly in a car, and we've been giving out information and goodie bags.
"It's all been well-received, people have been very receptive and the demonstration showed people how dangerous it can be."
Staffordshire Fire Service also demonstrated a rescue, saving two dolls trapped in a wrecked car by sawing through the roof.
Watch manager Tim Harris said: "Smoking is a distraction and there have been several accidents when people have been smoking. It is a distraction and you might get people dropping the cigarette accidently."
Dozens of people of people visited the event on Saturday.
Bill Morton, pictured left, a Quit Smoking adviser for the NHS, said: "There hasn't been a lot of smokers, but the day has gone well.
"We've had a lot of children come to visit us and hopefully they will pass the message on to parents. Often it is the children who provide the motivation to quit."
For more information about stop smoking services available, call 0800 085 0928.
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8 Comments
by Chris W, Blackpool
Friday, August 13 2010, 2:11AM
“Strange how Driving and Smoking has been going on in cars for over one hundred years and now suddenly it,s a danger?,it,s stated that it doesn,t make much difference with the windows open for the health of a child, yes your right it,s far more dangerous in fact especially when your stuck behind a no. 9 bus spewing out filthy black lethal fumes which engulf the car ?”
by tug, uk
Thursday, August 12 2010, 3:59PM
“So Jayne Hawe, there is a Safe level of secondhand smoke, of course there is.But it is nice to see a health officer Admit it, i would like to know how the level was measured, you say that even with the windows open it didn't make much difference,so the secondhand smoke just stayed where it was,now that is just foolish. But i guess someone will get in touch with you with a FOI request to ask for the smoke levels you talk about and how it was proven that secondhand smoke was indeed a danger.Our own HSE would find them interesting,they could not raise the level of secondhand smoke to be a danger,so you Jayne can teach them a thing or two.”
by ruth, Stoke
Tuesday, August 10 2010, 10:09PM
“what we must realise is that smoking in your car and in your home has a detramental effect on your childrens health.Its simple. You smoke.......they choke.......this is a fact not a made up piece of nonsense. Smoking in cars and in the home should be banished,,,,,it costs society greatly in terms of poor health and hospital admissons. Facts hurt........now open your eyes and put out that filthy fag.”
by paul, bentilee
Monday, August 09 2010, 10:03PM
“Scaremongers don't realise that it's very easy to alienate their intended audience.”
by George, Kidsgrove
Monday, August 09 2010, 4:22PM
“Not really impartial is it Ms Hawe, how big was the survey and who paid for it? From the information presented here it was a waste of money.
Why not try doing your job and tackling the flytippers and litter louts instead of spouting drivel. The problem with 'Studies' is they can be manipulated to suit, for example, 1 in 6 traffic accidents are caused by drink drivers [Police, Camera Action ITV 27/07/10]. So find the cause of the other 5 and you have an 83% reduction in RTA's.
The likes of McIver and Hawe should try fulfilling their current role before pedalling unsubstantiated claptrap.”
by Me, Longton
Monday, August 09 2010, 2:37PM
“Oh please! I neither smoke or have kids. My hubby is a smoker though and on a lengthy journey can smoke a fair bit - never has the car looked like that though. A very poor effort of a mock-up if you ask me.
I'm not justifying smoking, I'd love it if he stopped but these do-gooders do little for the cause. The only thing that will stop most is when the price is way beyond reach.”
by Belinda, Edinburgh
Monday, August 09 2010, 2:14PM
“"It found a child inhales three times the amount of smoke that would be considered safe to inhale over the course of a day."
They are always telling us 'there is no safe level of secondary smoke'. I wish they would make their minds up.”
by Belinda, Edinburgh
Monday, August 09 2010, 2:11PM
“looks like there's a fire in that car!
Billions of journeys end safely every day, regardless of whether there is a smoker at the wheel. These scare stories are made up by people who don't know how to multi-task.”