Charity Claims Smoking Ban in Cars is Significant Step for Children’s Health

Sample News Big

On Thursday, October 1st 2015, smoking in vehicles with passengers under the age of 18 became illegal. According to Britain’s leading dental charity, this move will have a significant effect on children’s oral health.

In the past, The British Dental Health Foundation has highlighted the risk associated with passive smoking for children’s oral health development. The charity believes the recent ban will have a positive effect in protecting young people against the dangers of inhaling cigarette smoke second hand.

Dr Nigel Carter OBE, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, said that children are exposed to a higher concentration of harmful chemicals when in the confined space of a car.

Research shows that smoking one cigarette in a car with the windows closed produces on average 11 times higher levels of second hand smoke than in a bar where smoking is permitted. Dr Carter said this is particularly dangerous to children whose dental health is still in development.

Second hand smoke can lead to tooth loss and gum disease. In more severe circumstances, it can even lead to mouth cancer.

Smoking is the number 1 cause of mouth cancer, which kills around seven thousand people in Britain every year.

Join this Discussion

Comments are closed.