Most Smoker Parents Allow Smoking in Cars

In a new survey, about 2 out of 3 smoking parents who don’t allow smoking at home said they do allow it in the car. Among those who don’t have a no-smoking policy in the car, half allow smoking even when children are riding.. Researchers were surprised by the results. They said it shows people don’t realize that smoke in the car, and even the residue of past smoking, can harm children. Researchers interviewed about 800 smokers who had brought their children to a doctor’s office. About 3 out of 4 said that someone had smoked in their car in the last 3 months. About 1 out of 4 said they had a strict no-smoking policy for the car. Only about 12% said their child’s doctor had urged them not to allow smoking in the car. The journal Pediatrics published the study online. HealthDay News wrote about it November 12.