Overview

Abstract (English)

There has been a growing interest in banning smoking inside private vehicles to protect children due to a number of factors: o Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure is particularly harmful for children, because they have smaller lungs and weaker immune systems than adults. o Confined car space is particularly dangerous because SHS can reach a toxic level quickly, despite opening windows or use of a ventilation system. Since April 2008, Canadian provinces (with exception of Quebec) started to adopt the ban against smoking in private vehicles carrying children (up to the age of 19, depending on the province). Quebec and several (US) jurisdictions have not adopted this law because it acts as an intrusion into private life and individual rights. Given that smokers are already restricted by several smoking bans at workplaces and various public places, no smoking in the car further restricts their choices. Not only has Canada led the way in adopting such legislature, it also collected nationally representative survey data to facilitate the monitoring and assessment of the ban’s effects. This research provides the first empirical evidence based on the Canadian experience that disproves the first two claims. Before the ban, 27 percent on average of children were exposed to SHS. After the ban, 17 percent on average of children were exposed to SHS. Therefore, the results confirmed the effect of the policy to ban smoking in cars with an approximate 33 per cent reduction in the incidence of children’s SHS exposure. The ban did not increase smoking in the home. Canada’s experience with banning smoking in cars is setting an example for other countries. Future research can further contribute evidence to inform policy-making by determining whether the legislation’s effect of reducing children’s SHS exposure is sustained over time, and how it can translate into health benefits, such as reduced asthma burden.

Abstract (French)

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