MONTREAL – A group of Quebec teens has launched a campaign to raise awareness about how second-hand smoke in a car can affect children.
Teenagers from Montreal, Laval, the Laurentians and the Eastern Townships from the group “Youth Coalition Against Smoking” unveiled a bumper sticker they hope will make a difference. It reads “Children on board, smoke outside.”
According to these teens, a smoker who lights up in a car takes everyone in the vehicle hostage.
Get weekly health news
A survey by the Canadian Cancer Society revealed that Quebecers are twice as likely than the national average to smoke inside a car with children present.
If you think that rolling the window down is enough to neutralize the harmful effects smoking in a car can have on children, think again.
Studies have shown that it would take the wind power of a hurricane to completely clear second-hand smoke from a car.
More than 203,000 Quebec children aged 11 to 16 years are exposed to tobacco smoke in a car at least once a week, according to the survey on smoking and youth.
This affects the children as much the smoker, as second-hand smoke contains nearly 7,000 highly toxic chemicals, including sixty carcinogens.
Comments