Should we ban smoking at home in the name of “children’s right to live in a tobacco-free environment”? This is the – very serious – question posed by Dr Roland Lemye, vice-president of the Belgian Association of Medical Syndicates (Absym, the main medical union in Belgium).
In a column published this Monday, February 2, 2016 in the Belgian newspaper The evening, the general practitioner wants this ban to apply “in each house, or at least in the common room and the child’s bedroom, where he sleeps.” The same goes for the car in which the child is transported ”.
“Adults only have to smoke outside”
And to add: “sincerely, I do not think that it is necessary to put the parents in prison or even to apply a fine to them if they break this rule. The idea is rather to persuade by explaining how harmful tobacco is for children. In the past, the same doubts have been expressed about the effectiveness of the ban on corporal punishment. This prohibition also applies to the private family setting. Even though we know that the goal is not 100% achieved, this ban has had a major impact on society. »But in this case, where will the adults go to smoke their cigarette ? “Outside” replies Dr Roland Lemye categorically.
If the proposal divides public opinion, several cities in the United States have already taken the plunge, while in Melbourne and Tokyo, there are squarely neighborhoods where smoking is prohibited. As a reminder, the passive smoking can cause many health problems in children: respiratory diseases (bronchiolitis, bronchitis, pneumonia …), cardiovascular, neurological (developmental and behavioral disorders) and cancer (the risk of tumors and lymphomas increases).
Read also: passive smoking ages children’s arteries.
