It goes to the state government in North Rhine-Westphalia, remain free of all cars on German roads in the future smoke, if minors are old or Pregnant women on Board. The Parliament has decided on Thursday to a joint request from the CDU, SPD, FDP and the Greens.
The scheme should not be restricted to just the state, but Germany-wide. “Minors and Pregnant women are to be protected from the effects of passive Smoking, particularly in the car”, – stated in the decision text. “The state government is therefore requested, through the Federal Council a draft law to introduce, the years of Smoking in cars in the presence of a Minor or Pregnant women, prohibits and sanctions.”
The prohibition law would be compliant
In addition to the Federal physicians chamber even a majority of smokers in favour of banning Smoking in cars and under penalty if children are sitting in the vehicle. Nevertheless, the rule is blocked, especially by the CDU-politicians, even after an attempt of the party colleague and drug Commissioner Marlene Mortler 2015. The then-Federal Ministry of health, Hermann Gröhe (CDU) even claimed that such a law is probably unconstitutional.
This contradicts an evaluation of the scientific service of the German Bundestag, to which also the NRW-government refers to. Thus, a Smoking ban in cars in conformity with the Constitution, if minors are present. “The proportionality of such a prohibition is undisputed,” the application of the NRW-government.
Already now car-Smoking bans exist in numerous countries, including the UK, Italy, Greece, France, South Africa and Australia. Most recently, Austria had prohibited Smoking in a car when children are on Board.
Passive More than 3300 deaths from Smoking every year
In Germany, more than 3,300 non-smokers die each year from the effects of passive Smoking. Enclosed spaces make the passive Smoking is particularly dangerous, especially for cars and their relatively small interior spaces. “According to measurements by the German cancer research center (Deutsches krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) is the pollutant concentration in a smoky car is five Times as high as in an average smoke-filled Bar,” the NRW-request.
Children are more vulnerable than adults, because the toxins spread them on a lower body mass and your rate of breathing is higher. Add to this that many organs and functions of the body are not yet fully formed, including also the possibility for the detoxification of pollutants. The proven consequences of frequent ear infections on life-long lung damage to the increased risk of cancer.
Even the Unborn are already suffering from the smoke, since many of the toxins pass through the placenta and into your bloodstream, where they damage the development. After birth, the risk of sudden death increases also. Passive Smoking is, according to the DKFZ in up to half of the cases of sudden infant death syndrome as the cause.