Welsh Assembly vote to ban smoking in cars
A vote on banning smoking in cars when children under the age of 18 are present has been passed by the Welsh Assembly.
The ban was approved on Tuesday by AM’s and legislation will now come into force in Wales on October 1, 2015.
The new regulations will make it an offence to smoke in an enclosed private vehicle when more than one person is present, at least one of whom is under the age of 18, and for a driver to fail to prevent smoking in such circumstances.:
- Make it an offence to smoke in a private vehicle with someone under the age of 18 is present;
- Make it an offence to fail to prevent smoking in a private vehicle when someone under the age of 18 is present.
Health and Social Services Minister Mark Drakeford said:
“Some people believe that opening the window of a car will help disperse smoke but in reality it simply blows back in. It causes a real and substantial threat to children’s health.
“Children cannot escape from the toxic chemicals contained in second-hand smoke when travelling in cars. They often don’t have a choice over whether or not they travel in cars and may not feel able to ask an adult to stop smoking.
“The regulations will introduce a ban to protect children under 18 from the harms associated with second-hand smoke when travelling in private vehicles.
“As with the existing smoke-free regulations, success will not be based on the number of enforcement actions that are taken but by how behaviour, attitudes and health outcomes change over time.”
The ban will come into force on the same day as a ban in England.
