A renewed effort to prohibit smoking in vehicles when minors or pregnant women are present is being launched by the German Federal Council. According to reports in the “Rheinische Post” the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony have resubmitted a proposed amendment to the Federal Non-Smoking Protection Act. This initiative previously stalled due to parliamentary deadlock in the previous legislative period.
The rationale behind the proposal emphasizes the heightened risk of passive smoking exposure for minors and unborn children in enclosed spaces, particularly within car cabins. Experts highlight that tobacco contamination levels in enclosed passenger areas can quickly reach levels comparable to those found in heavily smoked restaurants, even from a single cigarette.
The German Institute for Cancer Research estimates that approximately one million minors in Germany are regularly exposed to tobacco smoke in vehicles.
The Federal Council is scheduled to vote on the proposal during its meeting on September 26th. Should the Federal Council approve the measure, it will then be forwarded to the Bundestag for consideration.
