A study by Irish doctors claims passive smoking in vehicles gives rise to significant respiratory symptoms in children.
The study, published in the European Respiratory Journal, found that one in seven children aged 13 to 14 years, was exposed to passive cigarette smoke in cars. These children had a 35% increased risk of wheezing and a 30% increased risk of hay fever.
Second-hand smoke in a car is 23 times more toxic than in a house due to the enclosed space. Even if the window is open, the air that blows inside the car doesnt fully remove the cigarette smoke and so there is no safe level of exposure.
Girls were more likely to be exposed to the second-hand smoke than boys. The authors believe this could be due to girls being given more lifts than boys because parents don’t want them walking alone.