Canadian doctors call for smoking ban in all vehicles with kids

26 August, 2007:

Doctors in Canada have called for a countrywide ban on smoking in all vehicles carrying children, including private cars, to protect young lungs from the dangers of second-hand smoke.

The recommendation won abundant support at the Canadian Medical Association’s annual general meeting held in Vancouver on August 22, 2007.

Making the motion, Dr Atul Kapur, of Ottawa said: “The risk of second-hand smoke is quite clear to everyone in this room. There are few areas where children are still exposed; one of them is vehicles. 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.”

This is a child protection issue, according to Sandra Luscombe, a pediatrician. She said in an interview later that a law would also be educational and would be no more difficult to enforce than ones requiring seat-belt usage and prohibiting drivers from talking on cellular phones.

The delegates at the Canadian Medical Association’s meeting also called for efforts by the government to reduce the amount of salt in processed food and regulate the contents of energy drinks.

Regarding a call for less salt in processed foods, doctors said Canadians get more than double the recommended daily sodium requirement and only 11 per cent of that comes from salt shakers. A doctor said 75% to 80% of salt is added to food by manufacturers and in restaurants.

Excess salt causes premature deaths from cardiovascular disease.

Members of the powerful doctors’ lobby group also passed 15 ‘green’ resolutions, including calls for swift government action to protect domestic drinking-water supplies, reduce air pollution, and curtail use of pesticide.

One member said doctors now have an excellent opportunity to push for environmental protections because politicians from all political parties are paying attention to the issue and will likely continue to do so leading up to the next federal election. He suggested that revenues collected by government through tobacco taxes be spent on health care, and doctors oppose any involvement of tobacco companies in education or research at post-secondary institutions.