REARVIEW:THE SUGGESTION that a law be introduced making it illegal to smoke in your car when you have children in the back may be well intentioned but seems daft on a number of levels.
Obviously, if you smoke in a confined space, such as a car, you will cause some harm to those inside that space with you. The poisonous particles left on the seats can also do some harm, recent research has shown. When children are involved, the harm is all the more pronounced.
However, we can only go so far in legislating for stupidity before it begs the question – where do we draw the line? Should a law be introduced banning smoking when asthma patients are in the car? Or when elderly emphysema patients are on board?
Would a law prohibiting the consumption of sugary foods while driving be a good idea, for fear that to set such an example to children will lead to inevitable childhood obesity and cost the health service millions in the future? Clearly an outright ban on alcohol is but a lofty proposal away? Of course not, to do so would be patently ridiculous.
Yet to take the recent suggestion by the Irish Cancer Society, we would introduce laws banning people from engaging in activities that are, well, plainly stupid and irresponsible. People who smoke in the car with their children will probably continue to smoke in front of their children at home anyway.
Sure, make it illegal to engage in behaviour that will impact on other road users – talking on phones, driving on the wrong side of the road – but when it comes to people ensuring the health of their own children, it’s an issue for social services and their own consciences: not for the Garda.
A little more common sense and not more earnest legislation that will be ignored might work better in this case.