A consultation is to be launched today by a Borders MSP with a proposal to ban smoking in vehicles while children are present.
Speaking ahead of the launch at Holyrood, Jim Hume said: “Passive smoking is entirely avoidable and a private vehicle is one of the few places a child can still be legally exposed to tobacco smoke.
“I want to change this so that we can better safeguard the rights of children in Scotland and give them the healthiest start in life.
“I’ll be making that case to MSP’s today when I launch the consultation, but I hope that people and organisations from across Scotland will have their say.
“Countries such as Canada, Australia and some states in the USA have already taken this step. I know that attitudes to smoking have changed dramatically even over the past ten years, but if this can improve a single child’s health I think it is a step we need to take.
“A host of supportive organisations such as Children in Scotland, the British Lung Foundation, ASH Scotland and the British Heart Foundation will attend the launch today.
“I hope that MSPs of all parties will attend and put their questions to myself and to the experts who are supporting these proposals.”