The Welsh Assembly should be congratulated for acting to protect children from the hazard of smoking in cars [1]. Social marketing is likely to help shift societal norms around this issue. However, it would probably be more effective, and more cost-effective, if legislation was also used (as in Canadian, Australian and some American jurisdictions). In fact to correct a small part of the news item, smokefree cars with children are already required in some Australian states (rather than coming into force in May 2012).

Education campaigns can mean that significant proportions of children, especially those in low-income families, may not be protected. In New Zealand in 2008, 27% of Year 10 students (aged about 14 years) reported exposure to secondhand smoke in a private vehicle in the last 7 days, unchanged from 2006, despite a smokefree cars media campaign since 2005 [2,3]. It is particularly unfortunate that the Assembly chose not to take the legislation route, considering that in 2009, 76% of the public in a large British survey supported a smokefree car law [4]. Why are legislators so afraid of using laws to protect children from this hazard?

George Thomson, Nick Wilson,
University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand

References

1. Dobson R. Car users in Wales are being urged not to smoke in vehicles carrying children. BMJ 2012;344:e934 doi: 10.1136/bmj.e934
2. McDuff I. 2006 HSC Year 10 In-depth Survey. Health Sponsorship Council. Wellington. July 2007. Accessed February 13, 2012. http://www.hsc.org.nz/sites/default/files/publications/NZYTM_2006_Year10...
3. Health Sponsorship Council. 2008 HSC Year 10 In-depth Survey Report. Health Sponsorship Council. Wellington. July 2009. Accessed February 13, 2012. http://www.hsc.org.nz/sites/default/files/publications/FULL-REPORT-2008-...
4. De Lacy E, Morrison R, Dockrell M, et al. P185 Public attitudes to smoking in cars. Thorax 2010;6510.1136/thx.2010.151043.36

Competing interests: None declared