All vehicles with children inside should be free of tobacco smoke – Canadian doctors say that the lungs of children should not be subjected to passive tobacco smoking. The Canadian Medical Association expressed its wholehearted support for this recommendation during its AGM in Vancouver.
Dr. Atul Kapur said to the delegates at the AGM that the risk of second-hand smoke is quite clear to everyone in the room. Vehicles are one of the few areas where children are still exposed to tobacco smoke. “They don’t have a choice about whether to be exposed or not and because of the concentrated atmosphere and the enclosed space, the risk is much higher,” he said.
Most of the delegates agreed, except for one doctor who suggested it may be better to educate parents and families rather than policing them in public. Some suggested it would be an easy law to implement and enforce, as is the law requiring people to wear seat belts when their cars are moving.
Canada has one of the highest incidences of asthma in the world. About three million Canadians suffer from asthma, approximately 10% of its population. Various triggers can bring on an asthma attack, such as cigarette (tobacco) smoke, air pollution and allergens.
Many people, including some experts wonder whether passive smoking has been overrated as a trigger for respiratory problems, cancer risk and some other illnesses, such as asthma. Forty years ago over 60% of all Canadian adults smoked, today the figure is around 20%, or perhaps even less. However, the number of children who suffer from asthma in Canada today has more than tripled since the 1960s. If second-hand tobacco smoke is so harmful, some wonder, then why have asthma figures gone significantly up while the number of smokers has gone significantly down. The only figures that have gone up in a similar way to childhood asthma ones since the 1960s are vehicles – there are three times as many vehicles on the road today. In short, are we attacking the wrong second-hand smoke?
Written by: Christian Nordqvist