According to the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health, although 87 percent of adults agree that adult drivers and passengers shouldn't smoke when kids are in the car, only seven states have laws that actually prohibit the practice. The poll also found that 82 percent of adults support no smoking in vehicles with children under 13, and 75 percent support no smoking in homes where children have asthma or other lung illnesses.
In a video explaining the latest results, the poll's director Dr. Matthew Davis shows that public support for banning adult tobacco use in the presence of children is strong, but few states have adopted policies that reflect such support.
"For many states, cities, and counties, these would be new regulations," says Davis. "But the level of public support is so high that now may be the time for public health officials and legislators to move forward on those ideas, in order to protect children's health."
Watch the video here.
Ban smoking when kids are in the car, survey says, but few states have laws that actually do
July 22, 2013