Countries initiate fresh efforts to outlaw cigarette usage in motor vehicles
In a long-standing issue that has been debated among federal states, the smoking ban in cars when minors or pregnant women are present is now moving closer to becoming law.
The German state has a special protective duty towards those who cannot protect themselves from passive smoking, and the dangers associated with this practice are well-documented. Passive smoking increases the risk of cancer, especially in the case of minors whose parents smoke, potentially leading to an increased risk of developing liver tumors or leukemia.
Unborn children and minors cannot protect themselves from the dangers of passive smoking. In closed spaces, they are more exposed to tobacco smoke pollution, with tobacco smoke in cars reaching a multiple of a heavily smoked pub within a few minutes after smoking a single cigarette.
Karl-Josef Laumann, the NRW Health Minister, stated that smoking in the presence of children or pregnant women in cars is irresponsible. The Bundesrat has been considering expanding the non-smoking protection law for several years, with the latest initiative submitted in March 2022 by the Federal Ministry of Health under Karl Lauterbach (SPD).
This draft for changing the smoking ban law aimed to prohibit smoking in cars when children or pregnant women are present and was supported by several federal states including North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony, which planned to reintroduce the legislation in the Bundesrat in September 2023.
However, the law change did not occur due to the end of the coalition on the federal level in the last legislative period. Nevertheless, the proposed amendment to the federal non-smoking protection law has been discussed by the Bundesrat and is awaiting agreement before it moves to the Bundestag.
The North Rhine-Westphalia health ministry is reintroducing a proposal to ban smoking in cars when children or pregnant women are present on September 26. If agreed upon, the Bundesrat will submit a corresponding bill to the Bundestag, the next step in making this ban a reality.
The dangers of passive smoking extend beyond cancer and lung damage. Growth disorders are also a risk associated with passive smoking. In light of these risks, it is hoped that the proposed ban will help protect the most vulnerable members of our society.
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