Smoke ban in cars may be next...

Signpost

Hey,
Was browsing irishhealth.com and stumbled across this... I agree with not smoking with children in cars but if they bring it in for that whats to stop them bringing it in cold turkey on all drivers? are we really turning into that much of a totalatirian state that they want to dictate what we can and cannot do in our own private cars? any parent who smokes with their child in the car is irresponsible anyway and shouldnt have the right to be parents but that a different matter completly
***Hope this shouldnt be in the health thread??***


By Niall Hunter-Editor

The Government should consider banning people from smoking in cars if there are children in the car, according to the Chairman of ASH Ireland, Prof Luke Clancy.

He told irishhealth.com, in an exclusive on line interview, that there is an argument to extend the current smoking ban to smoking in cars with children.

"When you see people driving in cars smoking with children in the car as well; I don’t think that kind of thing will continue."

Prof Clancy said the smoking ban, now in force for two years, has been a great success.

He rejected claims that smoking bans and anti-smoking campaigns are an infringement on people's liberty.

"While it might be debatable that you have the right to damage your own health, you certainly do not have the right to damage the health of others."

Recently, a town in California banned smoking in most public places, including outside restaurants, in public parks and in cars with the window open.

Prof Clancy said it would be difficult to get an evidence base that people smoking out in the open are endangering the health of others.

However, he felt there was an argument to ban smoking in cars with children.

The Department of Health is planning to extend anti–smoking measures and is currently consulting on this. It is expected that it will shortly ban the sale of cigarettes in packs of less than 20.

See irishhealth.com’s online video interview with Prof Clancy at:

http://www.irishhealth.com/video_interview.html

http://www.irishhealth.com/index.html?level=4&id=9245

Henry Ford III

I reckon smoking, drinking, doing crosswords, applying makeup, texting, reading a map etc. should all be banned for drivers of moving vehicles.

Both hands on the wheel is the safest way to go.

Eoin

Henry Ford III wrote:

I reckon smoking, drinking, doing crosswords, applying makeup, texting, reading a map etc. should all be banned for drivers of moving vehicles.

Both hands on the wheel is the safest way to go.

I totally agree, though I suppose "reckless driving" or whatever it's called could be used to cover these if needs be.

Signpost, I can see your point: that they shouldn't be allowed to ban smoking in your own car because smoking in itself is bad for your health, but I do agree with banning it for the reason that it easily distracts drivers.

Signpost

Henry Ford III wrote:

Both hands on the wheel is the safest way to go.

How does one go about changing gears in a non automatic car then? - only joking take your view. I dont see the danger thou in it. I know many an addict of the smokes who would be far more culpibable to crash craving a fag than smoking one. If they can show me stats of a direct link of smoking to road crashes well and good. if its on the premisis of them being totalatirian (spelt wrong?) i dont agree.

Def agree with applyin makeup thou... see this every day on my way to work d same gal puttin on her makeup at a set of traffic lights. really annoying cause she doesnt watch for when lights go green :mad:

Owen

Long overdue. How the hell do you drive while having one hand effectively disabled holding something that's on fire? And having to do extra motions such as top it off, bring it to your mouth, etc. It's just not safe!

seamus

Dangerous driving is dangerous driving regardless of how many things you put in place. What's wrong with (for example), having a drink in your car at the lights while you're stopped? Handbrake on, change to neutral, drink. Trying the same thing on a windy road though is suicide. If they introduced a smoking ban for cars, pretty soon you'd have to ban doing anything else while at the wheel.

There's a limit to the restrictions you can put on people, and stopping people from smoking in their cars is past this limit. Besides, for the children of smokers, smoke inhaled while travelling in cars will constitute for but a minor portion of their smoke inhalation. Sure the concentration is higher, but the sheer volume of time can't compare with the time the child will spend in the home with parents smoking around them.

You can't 100% legislate smoking out of existence.

_Kaiser_

Whilst I personally think the government should stay out of matters that don't concern it (how far away is banning people's ability to smoke at home, or how they raise their kids etc), it's another one of these ideas that in practise is totally unenforceable in the real world.

The ban on driving while on a mobile phone came in this week, yet even yesterday I lost count of the number of people I saw doing precisely that. The reality is the Gardai don't have the resources (or I'd wager the interest - a lot more to keep them busy) to be actively checking for this.

The only way anyone will "get done" is if they're unlucky enough to be spotted by a passing squad car/bike with a cop who has a quota to fill. Trying to enforce anti-smoking rules in personal cars is even more ridiculous.

By the way.. I don't smoke myself (never have), but I respect the right of others to do so if they wish.

prospect

I have noticed that when the majority of accidents happen, usually at least one of the involved parties was driving at the time.

So, maybe they should consider a ban on driving when you are in your car?

Signpost

prospect - have u ever considered the job of minister for transport?

prospect

Signpost wrote:

prospect - have u ever considered the job of minister for transport?

Nah, I'm to 'clued in' and 'accountable' to be a government minister.

DublinWriter

Kaiser2000 wrote:

Whilst I personally think the government should stay out of matters that don't concern it (how far away is banning people's ability to smoke at home, or how they raise their kids etc), it's another one of these ideas that in practise is totally unenforceable in the real world.

They said the same about the smoking ban in pubs...

But seriously. How tetchy and unhappy an individual do you need to be to profer this type of rubbish?

To quote Denis Leary "Sorry officer, I didn't see the little old lady crossing the road because I was too busy SMOKING at the time".

But it's going to be turned into another distractive little sideshow so that we don't argue about the state of the roads/hospitals/schools/whatever-you're-having-yourself/etc.

LostinBlanch

If it comes in I'm buying shares in a window tinting business. I reckon I'd be quids in. Harder for coppers to spot people puffing away!