Smoking ban is for the kids

REARVIEW: IT USED to be one of my great pleasures in life when I smoked; cruising around, radio on, cigarette in hand. Smokers and ex-smokers will concur, I'm sure.

When the idea of banning smoking in cars was first suggested, I thought to myself it was nothing short of the long arm of government attempting to interfere in my life. Banning smoking in cars where children were present was very well intentioned but would be unworkable and merely populist claptrap, I thought.

Since then, however, I’ve been observing many motorists and have been struck by the sheer number of stupid, ignorant, irresponsible people who think it’s just fine to smoke when their still-developing children are beside them. So this time around, I’m fully supportive of Minister for Health James Reilly’s plan. Like only an ex-smoker can, I’ve changed my mind.

Sure, gardaí are overstretched, and of course they won’t be able to monitor people who smoke around their children at home, but a car ban where children are present would send out the right message: it is not okay to harm your children. From my own observations, catching offenders wouldn’t be a problem and any marginal cases could be resolved with inspection of a birth cert.

Such bans have worked in Queensland, Western Australia, Newfoundland and British Columbia, as well as many states in the US. As well as ourselves, Finland and Italy are among a number of countries considering introducing a ban.

To those who say a ban where children under 16 are present is an example of nannyism, I simply point to the ban on corporal punishment and ask should it too be rejected. To those who say such a ban would be unworkable, I point to the roaring success of the workplace smoking ban. To those who propose a ban on smoking by lone drivers, however, I say that would be a step too far.