A Welsh Government campaign to stop parents smoking in their cars with their children has been backed by Caerphilly County Borough Council.
The Fresh Start Wales campaign calls for parents to sign a pledge promising not to smoke in their cars to protect their families from second-hand smoke.
The campaign’s Summer Promise encourages parents to keep cars smoke-free during the school summer holidays.
Cllr David Poole, cabinet member for community and leisure services, said: “I strongly urge all parents in the borough to take up this promise and sign the online pledge to keep their cars smoke free. It has been proven that smoking with children in the car can be very detrimental to their health. Even by opening the window, or smoking when your children are not in the car still allows for deadly chemicals to linger in the seats and roof lining long after you’ve stubbed it out.
“Children who breathe in these fumes face an increased chance of developing respirotary problems such as asthma or bronchitis, middle ear disease and even cancer. Exposing children to these kinds of health risks is a burden no parent should wish to bear.”
Special packs are now available offering support to smokers as they stub out the habit. The packs contain practical tools, helpful tips and advice for smokers on how to protect their families and themselves from the harms and dangers of smoking.
To sign the online pledge or get more information please visit the Health Challenge Caerphilly website www.healthchallengecaerphilly.org.uk
A pretty ridiculous policy, absolutely unenforceable. The authorities cannot even prevent people using mobile phones whilst driving.
Of course parents should not smoke whilst with their children, for the very good reason that it may lead them to take up the habit. Talking about "deadly chemicals to linger in the seats and roof lining" is complete garbage. The fact is that the car itself spews out far more toxins than a cigarette, both during its manufacture and use. A campaign to stop 'the school run' would be more sensible, encouraging parents and children to walk more and pollute less.
Even that, though, should be no concern of the council. I am old fashioned perhaps, but I think that councillors are elected to oversee the efficient running of our schools, highways, planning, street lighting and other services. They are not elected to give advice to anyone on health issues, for which they are patently not competent to give.
I think that you are missing the point Richard. The Council wishes to encourage parents not to smoke in their cars. The WAG wishes to enforce this and many Councils support the idea. Enforceable? The idea is, as with much legislation, that responsible people will adhere to the policy. It is the parents job to enforce policy. Good parents will.
I don't think I'm missing the point Clive. The point I'm making is that the car itself is a greater health problem than the cigarette and that it is not up to councillors, including me, to beat the drum for the Welsh Assembly to introduce unenforceable laws that will undoubtedly divert police time from more pressing matters.
My secondary point is that the council should not be involved in advising people on what to eat, how much to drink, whether to smoke, not to go out in the sun and so on. There are lots of areas where the council does have a responsibility, and a statutory one at that. These include Education, roads and street lighting. None of these can really be said to be in first class condition in our area, more's the pity.
CCBC the smoking police two cabinet members smoke
I don't remember voting for lifestyle advice in recent elections. There is a pre-existing wealth of anti-smoking advice out there. Quite why responsible parents need lecturing on being responsible is beyond reason. They do not, nor have they abdicated their parental rights and responsibilities in favour of the state.
Perhaps it is time that local councillors indicated whether a vote for them is a vote for ever increasingly nagging nanny state at the local level.