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Britain intends to ban smoking in cars
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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The British Medical Association is calling for a complete ban on smoking in private cars, citing "compelling evidence" to protect public health and vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly.
In a press release, the voluntary professional association, which represents two-thirds of UK practising doctors, said it had produced a white paper that shows the toxic effects of tobacco smoke in cars on non-smokers.
Members of the BMA Scientific Council have overwhelmingly backed calls for legislation to ban smoking in private cars.
Vivienne Nathanson, director of professional activities at the BMA, said the UK had taken a "massive step" in banning smoking in indoor public places but it could do more: "We are calling on the UK government to take bold and courageous steps to ban smoking in private vehicles. Extending the smoking ban into law is urgently needed."
Experts estimate that hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, including 4,000 adults and 23 children in the UK, die each year as a result of second-hand smoke exposure.
Second-hand smoke in cars results in inhalation of toxin levels that are sometimes 23 times higher than those in smoky bars. Children are more susceptible to second-hand smoke, absorbing more toxins due to their underdeveloped immune systems.
Older adults are another vulnerable group due to age-related lung problems that can be exacerbated by inhaling tobacco toxins.
In addition, smoking is a potential road safety hazard because it distracts drivers.
The House of Commons parliamentary group on smoking and health is currently considering changes to existing legislation to reduce smoking levels. However, further analysis of the evidence is needed on the potential harm to children and adults from passive smoking in cars.
A lobby group for smokers has spoken out against the ban. Its spokesman Simon Clarke said they "disagree with the evidence presented by the BMA that there are serious health risks to children from second-hand smoke in cars".
"The legislative push is a gross overreaction. What's next, a ban on smoking in the home?" Clark said.
The UK is not the first country to consider banning smoking in cars: several countries have already done so. It is illegal to smoke in cars with children in some states in Canada, Australia and the US, as well as all of South Africa.
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