Restricting anything is difficult and worse still trying to help people quit their bad habits through bans is even more challenging. For example, talking over the mobile phone while driving is an offence but not many people pay any heed to that. Instead, people are highly comfortable about paying the fine attached to the offence. Similarly, smoking in cars is also risky for existing non-smokers or children around but smokers fail to stop.
Smoking is no more an individual’s problem but a problem that others around too have to face. This is something which smokers need to realize and not the law. The most obvious reason for laws not working is because there are too many to enforce or implement. Neither are businesses which promote the sale and growth of cigarettes being prosecuted for various health complications.
However, many initiatives are being taken to make a difference to secondhand or non-smokers. For example, Britain is going to witness a cigarette-free society from the summer of 2007 with a ban on smoking in oil rigs, railway stations, football ground, etc. It is also being sought to increase the age for buying cigarettes.
South Australia has also initiated a smoking ban in family cars in situations where kids below 16 years are present in the car. The Substance Abuse Minister, Miss Gail Gago emphasized that kids spend maximum time in family cars and are often exposed to secondhand smoke. Realizing the harmful effects of secondhand smoke, Miss Gago claims that people are voluntarily giving up smoking in their cars and homes altogether.
Brazil too has already banned smoking in cars and other European countries like Germany are following in line. Of late smoking is being in cars carrying passengers to their work locales as well. However, sales representatives using their private vehicles can light cigarettes in their cars.
Right from Delhi (India) to Queensland cigarette smoking is banned in cars. The Arizona legislature will be banning smoking in vehicles in the presence of children aged 17 and below. Banning cigarette smoking in cars has therefore taken a worldwide nature. At least the foundation has been laid while it would take a while for the building blocks to follow.
