Kids, Cars and Cigarettes  

A Brief Look at Policy Options for Smoke-Free Vehicles

More than half of all U.S. states, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico have enacted laws to prohibit smoking in indoor workplaces, yet smoke-free workplace laws fail to protect children from tobacco smoke in the two settings where they commonly face exposure—cars and homes.

About 46 million adults—nearly 21 percent of all adults in the U.S.—are smokers. As a result, more than 126 million nonsmokers—including an estimated 60 percent of children—are regularly exposed to tobacco smoke. Because their bodies develop as they grow, children are especially vulnerable to toxins in tobacco smoke and suffer acute and chronic medical consequences from exposure.

Laws that prohibit smoking in vehicles when children are present protect children from the health harms caused by exposure to tobacco smoke in this setting. Voluntary policies do not and cannot protect all children from harm in the small confined space of a car, van or truck.