Today's smoking in cars ban "a long time coming" says MP Bill Esterson

From today, anyone caught by police smoking in a car carrying children face a fine of £50 but could end up paying £2,500 if they are taken to court

Sefton Central Labour MP Bill Esterson said Britain was finally on the road to catching up with common sense today (October 1) as a new ban on smoking in cars in the presence of children comes into force.

Bill, whose constituency covers Formby , Crosby, Maghull and Aintree, was one of the leading proponents of the bid to introduce the ban when he sat on the Children and Families Bill committee.

To Bill’s surprise, the proposed ban was given the backing of Parliament last year when MPs voted through the Smoke Free (Private Vehicles) Regulations 2015.

The ban comes into force today (Thursday, October 1).

Bill Esterson said: “This is a great day, but it’s a day which has been a long time coming. Most people agree that children shouldn’t be exposed to harmful toxins of any kind. So why it has taken until today to ban smoking in a car - which is a sealed box - while children are present is beyond me.

“In the coming months and years we will look back on the time people could smoke in cars with their children present with bewilderment. How could it have gone on for so long? In the same way we look back on the days when smoking in the workplace was allowed, or in pubs.

“Passive smoking is dangerous. All the evidence shows that. But what’s worse, passive smoking is even more harmful to children whose lungs haven’t fully formed yet.

“Up until today, children would have had no say on people smoking in cars. They were victims, trapped in a sealed box filled with toxic fumes.

“That now, at long last, is history, and I am delighted to have been able to play my part in getting this common sense law through Parliament.”

From today, anyone caught by police smoking in a car carrying children face a fine of £50 but could end up paying £2,500 if they are taken to court.

Bill Esterson said: “We’ve known for years the harmful effects of smoking and the dangers of passive smoke. It is banned in pubs and public places. It’s inconceivable why it hasn’t been banned in cars with children before today.

“Research reveals that smoking in a car creates a higher concentration of toxins than in a bar. Some studies put it at 11 times higher. How can we seriously expose children to that?

“Three-hundred children in the UK visit the GP each year due to second hand smoke - 9,500 visit the hospital.

“Children are particularly vulnerable to second-hand smoke due to their higher breathing rate, their less well-developed airways, lungs and immune system. Those children who are exposed to second-hand smoke are more at risk of respiratory illnesses, asthma, meningitis and even cot death.

“So I welcome the ban and the fines that can be imposed on anyone caught breaking it.

“Lots of other countries imposed this ban long before us. Some have even gone further and imposed an outright ban on smoking in cars, which was a point I made when the bill came before parliament last year. Britain is really lagging behind on this issue.

“The Highway Code suggests that smoking should be ‘avoided’ as it is considered a distraction. I would argue that lighting a cigarette and smoking while driving is more than a distraction. It is as dangerous as using a mobile phone while driving.

“Police officers I have spoken to agree that today’s ban is a common sense move and despite them facing immense pressures because of government cuts to their funding and resources, they understand the importance of effectively imposing this ban.

“This is a good day and I am delighted a common sense law has come in which protects our children.”