No butts about it, kids need clean air in vehicles

BY LAUREL MYERS

The Sudbury and District Board of Health is stepping on board with communities across the province in an effort to make smoking in vehicles carrying children a thing of the past.

At their January meeting, the Board of Health passed a resolution supporting the legislation process encouraging smoke-free vehicles in which there are children aged 16 and under.

“A lot has been done to protect the public and workers from second-hand smoke in Ontario, but children continue to be exposed to the dangers of adult tobacco use,” said Dr. David Bach, president of the Ontario Medical Association (OMA), in a press release.

Numerous studies have shown the impact of second-hand-smoke on child health is significant. Among the risks are respiratory illnesses, including asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia, as well as sudden infant death syndrome and increased incidences of cancer and heart disease in adulthood, according to the OMA.

Francine Brunet-Fechner, public health nurse with the Sudbury District Health Unit (SDHU), said though the issue is at the forefront, the issue of education of tobacco has been going on for decades and the issue of smoke-free vehicles and places is not new.

“I think the population-base in our community is just finally ready to see change to protect their children,” she said. “I think it’s the many years of movement toward clean air and healthier living without tobacco.”

According to Health Canada, second-hand smoke is especially dangerous to young people because their lungs are still growing and developing. Because they are smaller, babies and children breathe more quickly and take in more harmful chemicals for their size than adults do.

A 2004 report by the OMA found that second-hand smoke is 23 times more toxic in a car than in a house. In fact, each hour that a child is exposed to second-hand smoke in a car is equivalent to the child smoking a pack of cigarettes.

And opening the window the courteous crack isn’t enough, Brunet-Fechner noted.

“It does not remove the second-hand smoke from the vehicle,” she said, adding that smoking in the vehicle when the child isn’t present is not a solution either.

“Second-hand smoke lingers in fabric and in the mouldings of the vehicle and the chemicals continue to gas-off days, weeks and months afterwards,” she said. “The only way to protect children and non-smokers is to not smoke in the vehicle.”

The initiative has already been met with much public support, according to an Ipsos Reid survey commissioned by the Ontario Tobacco Network in November last year. The survey showed 66 percent of smokers and 86 percent of non-smokers were in support of the ban. The same can be said about individuals with (82 percent) and without (78 percent) children.

Brunet-Fechner said education and awareness is key to the success of making vehicles smoke-free.

“What we’re attempting to do is to make adult caregivers aware of the risks of second-hand smoke when smoking in vehicles when children are present,” she said. “When individuals become aware, hopefully they will make a voluntary decision to make their own vehicle smoke-free.”

On Dec. 6, 2007, Sault Ste.Marie MPP David Orazietti presented Bill 11 – which is designed to protect children from second-hand smoke in vehicles – to the Ontario Legislature. The bill has been passed through its first reading and Orazietti is hopeful to have it through the second reading early in the spring.

“The objective is to protect children and youth from intense levels of second-hand smoke,”  he said. “I think it’s our responsibility as a legislature to act on the scientific evidence we have to help protect people.”

If Bill 11 receives Royal Assent, the offence will carry a fine of up to $200 for a first conviction and up to $1,000 for any subsequent convictions. Orazietti explained the bill will be enforced by local police in the same manner as seatbelt infractions.

“The resources are already there,” he said.

Help is available for those wishing to quit smoking through the Smoker’s Helpline, 1-877-513-5333, or online at www.smokershelpline.ca, or through the Sudbury District Health Unit’s Tobacco Action Line at 522-9200 ext 3433.