An MP for Harrow is backing a campaign encouraging adults to keep their cars smoke-free when children are on board.
Bob Blackman, the MP for Harrow East, is supporting the campaign run by the British Lung Foundation, to help tackle lung disease.
The campaign comes after a 2009 study, run by the foundation, showed that less than half of adults in Greater London believe that keeping their car smoke free is a child protection issue.
The British Lung Foundation said that these findings were “worrying”, because smoking just one cigarette in the car, even with the window open, creates a greater concentration of second hand smoke than a whole evening’s smoking in a pub.
Mr Blackman said he wanted to see adults take the same precautions with smoking in the car as they do with seatbelts.
He said: “Adults take any measure to protect children from harm, like buckling children up to keep them safe in the car without a second thought.
“That’s why I’m backing the British Lung Foundation’s pledge to keep our cars smoke free when children are on board. We need to lead the way in minimising our children’s exposure to second hand smoke.”
The foundation have created an online pledge and Mr Blackman is urging people to sign it. It can be found at www.lunguk.org/pledge.
