ANTI-SMOKING lobbyists have said that a ban on smoking in all cars should be considered.
Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) claims the pollution caused by one cigarette in a car is as bad as a pub filled with smoke.
Its report, Beyond Smoking Kills, states that stopping smoking in cars is "vital in cutting the exposure of children and young people to the toxins in second-hand tobacco smoke".
Deborah Arnott, director of Ash, said: "It's a serious health issue. Research from cannabis shows if you smoke once in a car you get the same pollution as you used to get at the end of an evening in a pub.
"The level of exposure you get in an enclosed vehicle is extremely high and it's not at all good for your health."
She added that Ash was not calling for an immediate ban, but wanted an investigation into whether legislation should be introduced.
"We want a proper debate, not a knee-jerk reaction.
"What we need to do is engage people as to why smoking in cars is dangerous. It's not just dangerous for children, it's dangerous for adults as well.
"We do not call for a legislative ban on smoking in cars. Give smokers access to alternatives. What we'd like to see is if smokers are in the car and desperate, they chew some gum. We need education."
The Beyond Smoking Kills report seeks new measures to protect young people from smoking and curb tobacco marketing.
It found that the annual cost to the NHS of smoking had risen from £1.7 billion in 1998 to £2.7 billion this year.
Among its recommendations are the introduction of plain packaging and a ban on shop displays of all tobacco products in a bid to encourage 4.5 million smokers to quit by 2015.
Simon Clark, director of pro-tobacco group Forest, said smokers were facing a "war" and wanted an end to Government interference.
Mr Clark said: "We're strongly against any further legislation on smoking in cars.
"We think parents should err on the side of caution when it comes to smoking around children, but to ban it would be a gross overreaction.
"There's simply no evidence that smoking in cars is a serious distraction and causes accidents.
"I think this is part of the war on tobacco and I think it would be difficult to enforce.
"A car is a private space and if people choose to smoke in their car, that is a matter for them.
"If they're passengers in the car then we expect smokers to be courteous.
"But we don't need Government to dictate how people behave in their own private spaces. I think a lot of people are getting fed up with groups like Ash telling us how to behave.
"The way we're going it will be illegal to smoke anywhere other than at home. Enough is enough."
