Demonstration shows dangers of second-hand smoke in cars

Jed Boal reportingIf you light up in your car, the second-hand smoke could endanger your passengers more than you ever thought, even with the windows rolled down.

As part of "World No Tobacco Day," the Utah Department of Health brought in an environmental health scientist to put on this demonstration: A smoker puffs away, and real-time air sensors in the front and rear seat monitor the air quality.

"It really is a serious problem. This isn't something that just smells bad. This isn't something you can fix by opening the windows of your car or your home. The smoke particles and the smoke chemicals will still hang around and affect your child," said Lena Dibble, with The TRUTH Campaign.

In the test, sensors monitor the toxic, airborne pollutants found in cigarette smoke. Neil Klepeis of Stanford University says levels peaked at 10 to 20 times the worst outdoor air pollution rated by the EPA.

Within seconds, the air quality inside the car was very hazardous. Shortly thereafter, the levels were off the charts. "It really doesn't take very long. It only takes a few seconds, maybe 10 or 15 seconds, to get way beyond the EPA hazardous limit on their index. It's a half or a quarter of a cigarette," Klepeis said.

There's not much of a difference when the windows are rolled down, and children are the most susceptible to the effects of second-hand smoke. "They can have things like infections and more colds. But longterm, they're putting their lungs at risk for asthma and other illnesses," Dibble said.

"If we're regulating outdoor air, why can't we regulate or educate people about what's going on inside their cars and try to make them understand they may be causing ill health effects in people they're driving around with?" Klepeis asked.

The TRUTH Campaign hopes smokers will recognize the hazards and chose not to smoke inside cars and homes.

E-mail: jboal@ksl.com

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