英国或禁止在车内吸烟

One of these days, drivers in the UK could be breaking the law if the government heeds advice from the British Medical Association, which suggests that the government ban people from smoking in their own vehicle.

But because cars are private spaces, these proposals are proving contentious. One non-smoker says:

"I have to ask her to open the window because I don't like it, as a non-smoker."

However, this woman does not believe the government should interfere.

"I don't think the government has any right to stop people smoking in their cars. It's not affecting anybody else outside, you've got diesel busses, diesel cars that are making more pollution than me smoking in my car."

It's a sentiment shared by this man:

"It's my body, it's my decision, that's about it. That's all it comes down to."

Children are believed to be at the highest risk in these circumstances.

In an experiment, a man is smoking in his car to test levels of harmful toxins in the smoke.

Dr James Cant, from the British Lung Foundation, explains the findings.

"What we started with before the cigarette was lit was a relatively normal level of about 12, when we get beyond 35 it starts to get dangerous to human health. What we saw when the cigarette was lit was within a few seconds was the meter readings actually shot up into the hundreds and stayed there for some time after the cigarette was extinguished."

The document also says the elderly are vulnerable to respiratory problems caused by passive smoking.

Dr Vivienne Nathanson, the BMA's director of professional activities, says smoking causes over 80,000 deaths every year in England.

Last week Northern Ireland's Health Minister Edwin Poots said he is considering a ban on smoking in cars. And a private member's bill in the UK is calling for a ban.

But any legislation will be bitterly opposed by the smokers' rights group Forest.

Simon Clark of Forest says:

"You might have a single lone adult behind the wheel choose to light a cigarette and suddenly he's committing an offence. The police will be expected to pull him over, fine him, if he doesn't pay the fine he could end up in jail for heaven's sake. It's utterly ridiculous. A car is a private space."

If the bill get passed, smokers in the UK could soon be puffing on their last cigarette in their own car, if doctors get their way.

For CRI, I am Li Dong.