The British Medical Association (BMA) this morning declared in favour of the proposal to ban smoking in cars.

There are actually two good reasons for this. Like mobile phones, the first is that cigarettes distract from the primary task of driving and are a safety hazard. The second reason is the toxicity the smoke, and the doctor's concern is particularly for children's health and the risks of being exposed to the fumes. BMA director of professional activities Vivienne Nathanson said: "The UK made a huge step forward in the fight against tobacco by banning smoking in all enclosed public places, but more can still be done. We are calling on UK governments to take the bold and courageous step of banning smoking in private vehicles.

The evidence for extending the smoke-free legislation is compelling. Research has shown that second-hand smoke can increase the risk of a range of conditions, inlacing sudden infant death syndrome and asthma as well as affecting lung function. Asthma UK and the British Heart Foundation have said that any ban should only cover children and smokers' lobby group Forest said there was "no justification" for a ban at all.

However the BMA have said that a complete ban would be easier to police and would also have the advantage of improving safety as smoking could be a distraction for the driver. The BMA’s report also highlighted the risk of injury and death from road traffic accidents as a result of the distraction of smoking while driving.