CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
Smoking in cars with children: What do Europeans who smoke do? Findings from eight ITC European surveys
1
Institut Català d’Oncologia, l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, ES / Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge, l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, ES / CIBER of Respiratory Diseases, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, ES / Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
2
Institut Català d’Oncologia, l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, ES / Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge, l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, ES / CIBER of Respiratory Diseases, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
3
Department, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
4
Public Health France, Saint-Maurice, France
5
German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
6
Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
7
National Institute for Health Development, Budapest, Hungary
8
Department, Maastricht University, Maastricht, NL / Trimbos Institute, The Netherlands Expertise Centre for Tobacco Control, Utrecht, the Netherlands
Tob. Prev. Cessation 2026;12(Supplement 1):A41
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND-AIM:
Exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) in cars is a significant public health concern, particularly for children. Voluntary car-smoking restrictions are a key strategy for reducing this exposure. This study examined voluntary smoking restrictions among adults who smoke when carrying children in their private cars in eight European countries.
METHODS:
A cross-sectional study was conducted using the most recent International Tobacco Control Surveys (2018-2022) in France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, and Spain. Analyses were restricted to 6,381 adults who currently smoke, own a car, and have ever had children in it. We estimated the prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of total, partial, and no voluntary smoking restriction in cars carrying children by socio-demographics, smoking-related variables, and beliefs about the effects of SHS on health. We estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (A(;)PR) and 95% CI using Poisson regression to assess the associations between car smoking restrictions and covariates.
RESULTS:
Most people who smoke prohibit smoking completely in their cars when carrying children (78.0%; 95% CI: 76.8-79.2%), ranging from 63.5% in Greece (95% CI: 59.5-67.4%) to 90.9% in Spain (95% CI: 87.5-93.4%). In contrast, 13.8% (95% CI: 12.8-14.8%) have a partial restriction, and 8.2% (95% CI: 7.5-9.1%) have no restriction. Main correlates of lacking any voluntary smoking restriction compared with restricting smoking completely were: being male (A(;)PR: 1.66; 95% CI: 1.36-2.02), having a low (aPR: 1.74; 95% CI: 1.28-2.38) or moderate (aPR: 1.79; 95% CI: 1.33-2.40) level of education, not having children (aPR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.07-1.69), having moderate (aPR: 1.83; 95% CI: 1.46-2.30) or high (aPR: 3.82; 95% CI: 2.86-5.10) nicotine dependence, not having tried to quit smoking (aPR: 1.81; 95% CI: 1.48-2.20), and not believing that SHS causes lung cancer in adults (aPR: 1.49; 95% CI: 1.22-1.82) and asthma in children (aPR: 1.65; 95% CI: 1.35-2.02).
CONCLUSIONS:
Most people who smoke in eight European countries prohibit smoking completely in cars carrying children. Health-promotion strategies should address the factors associated with lack of car-smoking restrictions to protect children from SHS exposure.
Exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) in cars is a significant public health concern, particularly for children. Voluntary car-smoking restrictions are a key strategy for reducing this exposure. This study examined voluntary smoking restrictions among adults who smoke when carrying children in their private cars in eight European countries.
METHODS:
A cross-sectional study was conducted using the most recent International Tobacco Control Surveys (2018-2022) in France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, and Spain. Analyses were restricted to 6,381 adults who currently smoke, own a car, and have ever had children in it. We estimated the prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of total, partial, and no voluntary smoking restriction in cars carrying children by socio-demographics, smoking-related variables, and beliefs about the effects of SHS on health. We estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (A(;)PR) and 95% CI using Poisson regression to assess the associations between car smoking restrictions and covariates.
RESULTS:
Most people who smoke prohibit smoking completely in their cars when carrying children (78.0%; 95% CI: 76.8-79.2%), ranging from 63.5% in Greece (95% CI: 59.5-67.4%) to 90.9% in Spain (95% CI: 87.5-93.4%). In contrast, 13.8% (95% CI: 12.8-14.8%) have a partial restriction, and 8.2% (95% CI: 7.5-9.1%) have no restriction. Main correlates of lacking any voluntary smoking restriction compared with restricting smoking completely were: being male (A(;)PR: 1.66; 95% CI: 1.36-2.02), having a low (aPR: 1.74; 95% CI: 1.28-2.38) or moderate (aPR: 1.79; 95% CI: 1.33-2.40) level of education, not having children (aPR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.07-1.69), having moderate (aPR: 1.83; 95% CI: 1.46-2.30) or high (aPR: 3.82; 95% CI: 2.86-5.10) nicotine dependence, not having tried to quit smoking (aPR: 1.81; 95% CI: 1.48-2.20), and not believing that SHS causes lung cancer in adults (aPR: 1.49; 95% CI: 1.22-1.82) and asthma in children (aPR: 1.65; 95% CI: 1.35-2.02).
CONCLUSIONS:
Most people who smoke in eight European countries prohibit smoking completely in cars carrying children. Health-promotion strategies should address the factors associated with lack of car-smoking restrictions to protect children from SHS exposure.
| eISSN: | 2459-3087 |
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