Smoking in cars violates childrens' human rights

Our kids are being forced to inhale high concentrations of second hand smoke when their parents smoke in the car.

New Zealanders like to think we're all about healthy living. Gym memberships are increasing day by day and healthy eating messages are all around us. But when it comes to smoking in cars, we seem happy to turn a blind eye.

Smoking is a personal choice, and one that many smokers regret they made when they were younger. Yet this doesn't deter them from forcing their second hand smoke into the lungs of their kids who are trapped in an enclosed space with all that ghastly, toxic smoke.

Ask any kid whose parents smoke, and they'll tell you they hate it. Not just a bit - they really loathe it. But kids voices aren't being heard, parents are continuing to smoke in their cars, and the kids are continuing to suffer becasue of it. We have laws preventing violence towards our kids, but we have no law protecting them from the harmful effects of second hand smoke.

As a nation, we need to stand up and protect our kids from harm, from whichever direction it may come, and more often than not, the source is very close to home. And we're not just talking about bumper stickers and lip service here. We want a law change banning smoking in vehicles when children under 18 are on board. Kids have the same human rights as adults, but it's up to the adults to protect the rights of the kids, not the other way round. The only way we can really achieve this is by garnering public support on a mass scale, and making our voices heard.

New Zealand is lagging behing other countries such as Australia, UK and Ireland, Canada, and even parts of the US in ensuring clean air inside motor vehicles. We want our kids to grow up healthy and strong, and without lungs full of smoke. Just think - if any of us found our school age kids smoking - we'd be horrified, but as a nation, we need to realise that there are parents out there who are effectively forcing their kids to smoke the equivalent of several cigarettes every day, and it's time New Zealand stood up and said "no more".

To have your say, go to www.change.org and search the exact phrase "clean air for kids" and let's show the world we value the rights of our kids.

ends

© Scoop Media