The Government should ban smoking in cars transporting children under 16, anti-smoking group Ash Ireland said today.
The group warned that children are at a higher risk of developing asthma and lung infections from passive smoking than adults as they have much higher respiratory rates.
It also said that recent research a car showed that a car can be 23 times more toxic than a house in the context of passive smoke.
Dr Angie Brown, chairwoman of Ash Ireland, said: "We urge adults who transport children in cars not to smoke either while the children are in the cars or not.
"ASH Ireland would much prefer a total ban on smoking in cars as it is such an unhealthy practice. As an interim measure we have urged the Minister for Health and Children to ban smoking in cars transporting children under 16 years of age."