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VICTORIA – Solicitor General John van Dongen today introduced amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act that will protect children under the age of 16 from second-hand smoke while they are passengers in motor vehicles.
“With the
introduction of this legislation, we are meeting our throne speech commitment
to ensure children are no longer subjected to second-hand smoke in vehicles,”
said Health Minister George Abbott. “Children are the future of this province,
and we want to do everything possible to ensure that they get the best possible
start in life. Tobacco smoke is particularly harmful to the developing system
of a young child, and this legislation complements our tobacco control strategy
in moving towards a healthier B.C.”
As with other
violations of the Motor Vehicle Act, enforcement of the legislation will be the
responsibility of local police departments and the RCMP. Individuals found to
be in violation of the legislation will be subject to a fine, and failure to
pay smoking violation fines will result in a refusal to issue drivers’
and vehicle licences.
“The harmful effects of tobacco smoke are
heightened in small enclosed places and this exposure can have immediate and
serious, long-lasting consequences for the health of a child,” said provincial
health officer Dr. Perry Kendall. “Research indicates that smoking one
cigarette in a parked vehicle with the windows rolled up will produce a
concentration of second-hand smoke up to 11 times higher than what would be
encountered in a smoky bar. The introduction of this legislation is an
important move in protecting the health of young children in this province.”
B.C. joins a number of other jurisdictions in introducing legislation that bans smoking in cars when children are present, including Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Yukon Territory and the U.S. states of Arkansas, California, Louisiana and Maine.
The amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act support the Province’s larger tobacco control strategy, which aims to further reduce B.C.’s smoking rates and to improve the health of British Columbians. In March 2008, government implemented legislation that bans smoking in indoor public spaces and workplaces and restricts the way tobacco is displayed and sold. Other recent initiatives include the September 2007 implementation of legislation that bans tobacco use in schools and on school grounds and the introduction of a provincewide policy that will see all health authority facilities in B.C. smoke-free by October 2008.
The Ministry of Health
also funds the free smoking cessation programs QuitNow.ca and QuitNow by Phone,
which are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to all British
Columbians. QuitNow by Phone offers translation services in over 130 languages.
For more information on tobacco control in B.C., please visit the Tobacco Control Program’s website at www.health.gov.bc.ca/tobacco.
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contact: |
Communications Director Ministry of Health 250 812-5571 (cell) 250 952-1887 (media line) |
Public Affairs Officer Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General 250 356-6961 |
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
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