Scientists: Riding in smokers' cars is very dangerous

Smoking in a car puts the health of passengers at risk, as air pollution significantly exceeds safe levels. Neither open windows nor the air conditioner on can help, reported Scottish researchers from the University of Aberdeen.

As part of the experiment, scientists installed a device in the back seat that analyzes the state of the air in the car throughout the trip. The trip itself lasted from 10 minutes to an hour. On 49 out of 85 trips, the driver smoked up to four cigarettes. It turned out that the concentration of particles in these machines averaged 85 micrograms per cubic meter. This is more than three times the maximum safe level of 25 micrograms.

Children are at greatest risk because they take more frequent breaths and have less developed immunity, the researchers emphasized. Even if one cigarette was smoked with the window open, dangerous particles would still linger in the cabin. Passive smoking in a car could be compared to smoking in a bar. Scientists are calling for a complete ban on smoking in cars.

Source: medicinform.net