Government refusal to protect children in smoky cars

MEDIA RELEASE

Controversial Government refusal to protect children in smoky cars

“The Government’s recent decision not to introduce smokefree cars for children is a missed opportunity to protect children from a major health hazard and contradicts their claim that they view protecting children from second-hand-smoke as a priority,” say Bridget Rowse, spokesperson for Patu Puauahi Northland’s smokefree collective.

Children travelling in cars where people are smoking are exposed to extremely high levels of hazardous pollutants and exposure to second-hand smoke puts children at higher risk of many serious diseases including acute respiratory problems and glue ear.

In 2015, Patu Puauahi submitted a petition with over 2000 signatures, requesting the government ban smoking in cars carrying children under the age of 18 years; Marama Fox – Maori Party co-leader, tabled the petition in Parliament.

In late 2016, the Health Select Committee recommended the Government introduce legislation, or other measures, to ban smoking in cars where children or young people under 18 were passengers. This followed similar recommendations from the Māori Affairs Select Committee and many health organisations.

The Health Select Committee recommendation reflected evidence from the 2012 ASH Y10 survey, which showed that 23 percent of youth aged 14-15 years were exposed to smoking in vehicles during the last week. More recent evidence from the 2015 survey suggests this has fallen only marginally to 20 percent with almost a third (32 percent ) of Māori year 10 children still exposed. That’s the equivalent of almost 12,000 children, or 300 buses full of children, every week; and that is just Year 10 students. Overall, tens of thousands of children are at risk and deserve protection.

Yet despite the evidence of continued high levels of exposure with minimal reductions over time, the Government responded to the Health Select Committee by stating that it “believes present initiatives are sufficient to deter smoking in cars carrying children under the age of 18 years”.

“There has been no significant Smokefree cars media campaign or national systematic efforts to reduce smoking in cars carrying children since 2006 - 2008 and again briefly in 2013-2014. If current initiatives are almost non-existent, it is difficult to see how these could be protecting children”,” says Ms Rowse.

New Zealand has fallen well behind other countries, including all Australian states and territories, Canada, and the United Kingdom, and some American states, which have adopted legislation to protect children from exposure to smoke in vehicles.

“We know this measure has strong support from the public including smokers,” argued Ms Rowse. A national survey in 2012 found 93 percent of adults agreed with the statement ‘‘Smoking in cars should be banned where children are in them”, including almost 90 percent of smokers.

“The Government’s decision is light on logic and evidence, and out of step with public opinion. The Government had a great opportunity to give Kiwi children the same protection that their Australian counterparts enjoy, but chose not to take it. It’s not too late to recognise the strong evidence that children are being harmed and to do something to protect them.”

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