Friday 8 March 2013

Extended Smoking Ban

There are talks in Parliament of further regulation to be made to the smoking ban, introduced to the UK in 2007. The smoking ban made all tobacco smoking in public places illegal and it is thought further action should be taken to improve public health. The further smoking ban will make smoking in cars where children are present illegal because the fumes breathed in can be 11 times more concentrated.

The Prime Minister has stated the improvement in public health since the health ban being introduced. On average 300,000 children visit their GP each year for illnesses caused by second hand smoke. With new laws banning smo king in the car it is hoped the public health issues will fall even more. In Australia, recent laws have meant the packaging for cigarettes is completely plain. There are also talks for this to become legal in Britain as well.

As well as it being a public safety concern, it can also cause a lack of concentration. Lighting up will take their eyes off the road, meaning the possibility of a crash is higher. However, health minister Anna Soubry has stated it is mainly a child welfare issue. Health and anti smoking groups have backed both the plain packaging and car ban laws. They believe after the evidence that has come to light, the ban is unarguable. With so much support from the public, it is unlikely the ban will not be passed.

The amount of children admitted to hospital over second hand smoke is astonishing and not doing anything about the problem will be ignoring the problem. With 9,500 children being administered to hospital, something has to be done to solve it. It is hoped banning smoking in the car will solve it. Smoking in vehicles used for work, like vans, lorries or car pools has been banned since 2007.

With it most infecting small children and babies due to their small lungs, they breathe in more smoke, which will affect them largely because their lungs are so small. Some of the most common illnesses associated with second hand smoke in children include asthma, ear infections and pneumonia. Cot death is also more common with babies who are subjected to second hand smoke. Children’s immune systems haven’t yet fully developed, making the chances of them getting them ill even more likely. It is also a lot more likely that the child breathing in the smoke will form cancer later on in life.

The plan has been slightly set in motion, with fines of £60 being given to people who have been smoking in a car. They also have to attend a smoke awareness course . This shows the problem has been acknowledged and further action is being taken to prevent the problem.

Some countries have already banned smoking tobacco in the car, including South Africa, America and Australia. They have seen an improvement in public health and it is likely Britain will follow in their footsteps. Tobacco specialists are a company selling the best quality tobacco products. Owning a company in Blackburn, Lancashire they have been in business for over 85 years, making sure they sell only the best products.