How will they police this ?

[bazwillrun]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13863127

I suppose they will rely on the kids to grass the parents up, cant see them prosecuting many people, theres far more people driving whilst using a phone and if you do somehow manage to get caught you could class yourself as seriously unlucky

Bit like the methods the Stasi used, knew it sounded familiar !

[Gromit]

The same way they police people using their mobile phones while driving.

I can see where they are coming from, but the kids are subjected to being in a room at home with a couple of smokers, probably for longer periods than they are in a car, so the health gains that they want will probably be elusive.

But stopping parents poisoning their kids is the nanny state again, surely?

[emmie]

more idiot policing, i don't smoke, but why should westminster, the hotbed of infidelity, non pc behaviour, and expenses fraud start telling us what we can and cannot do, most adults i am sure are aware that it isn't good to smoke around children, car or otherwise, and those i know who have children don't.

[Gromit]

em10

But there are many parents who do subject their children to passive smoking and that is having an adverse affect on their health. Do the Health Gestapo just ignore that then?

[SkellieMonster]

Just how many parents that smoke would put their baccy products out if their kids asked them to?

I'm an ex-smoker, and I like to think that when my kids were younger, I'd've had the nous NOT to light up while in the car, and also to dump it if they asked me to!

Idealistic perhaps, but being forced to?
banned ca
Having witnessed three accidents where the wearers of seat belts were killed directly as a result of wearing the belt, I now only wear mine to appease the legal system.

I can agree that smoking (passive or otherwise) does no-one any good, but they've banned cannabis without good reason, so I can only assume that food will be next!

[SkellieMonster]

Stupid bluddy flaptop! :-(

[pink-kittens]

but skellie, have you ever seen the aftermath when there have been no belts worn?

I doubt if much will be done about this, if anything. The many 100's of people who still use their mobile phones is uncountable and the person on the end is, IMHO, just as responsible if the driver has an accident. Smoking around children full stop is nasty, dangerous, unnecessary and completely unpolicable - car, house, where ever, it will continue to happen

[Zeuhl]

Will it be ok in the car if the kids are smoking too?

[SkellieMonster]

@Pink-Kittens. Unfortunately I have!

But in 90% of the cases, this wasn't an accident, this was pilot error!

One late-night accident I attended was apparently caused by one driver sparking up with an ordinary lighter. One sweep, 3-inch flame out of his Zippo, and bang, no night vision. Then bang, who put that tree there.

A true story that 'proves' smoking can kill.

It may well have been the case that a belt would have saved him, but who knows.

[Old_Geezer]

It is a wonderful aim, since it is to help those children whose parents do not automatically refrain; but as you say, difficult to police. I suppose they will just hope that the gradual trickle of convictions, and the fact it is on the staute book will slowly change everyone's thoughts to not even consider doing it. Not sure how successful that will be.

[SkellieMonster]

The kids may well be too high to notice!

I didn't see anything about any age limit.

I am 53, would this mean my dad mustn't smoke while I'm in his car?

[emmie]

i would rather their time was spent in getting us out of the mess we are in, than worrying themselves and us by more legislation, the best one i heard this morning was about people over the age of 65 being advised about their drinking habits, you have to laugh considering that parliament has so many subsidised bars, no one says they can't have a tipple or two, and how many of a certain age.
People still use mobiles in cars, it isn't right but unless you catch them redhanded then nothing can be done.

[pa___ul3]

maybe educating about the risks would be a better way of dealing with it, giving the figures of how many children were diagnised with passive smoking related illnesses and what the symptoms are.
A lot of people will pull the "I'm not being told how to live my life" thing and carry on doing it out of stubbornness where education can simply urge them to make their own decision.

[Zeuhl]

Smokers are addicts.

They will always want to find an opprtunity and find an excuse for their behaviour.

[Barmaid]

Isn't smoking in the home MORE damaging? Presumably on a daily basis, most kids are at school, and presumably there is a very short journey to and from. What about when they get home and sit in front of the tv in the evening and mum or dad sit there puffing away? Isn't that more dangerous to them?

[emmie]

no one i know does it, nor would they, i object to the fools who chatter on the mobile, not looking where they are going, the message did get through about drink driving, but you can't stop everyone.

[R1Geezer]

"How will they police this" - No more difficult to spot that the phone jockies!

[bazwillrun]

"the message did get through about drink driving"

mainly because if you got done it was an automatic ban not to mention the cost of insurance afer the ban.

If the punishment for phone use was a ban, then It would deter some people.

[emmie]

that won't happen.