Smoking should be banned in all cars to protect the health of children, the Royal College of Physicians has advised.

In a report on the effects of second-hand smoke on children, it says that measures to reduce children’s exposure tobacco smoke must be stepped up, and that a ban on smoking in cars is important in tackling the problem.  Other recommendations include promoting smoke-free homes through mass media campaigns, helping younger smokers give up and wider use of medicinal nicotine.

Professor Terence Stephenson, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said:  “We should be making cars totally smoke-free if there are children travelling in them.  Second-hand smoke has been found to be strongly linked to chest infections in children, asthma, ear problems and sudden infant death syndrome, or cot death. We strongly support the policy recommendations in this new report.”