A qualitative case study of policy maker views about the protection of children from smoking in cars.
BACKGROUND
As little is known about the policy making process around smokefree car laws, we aimed to investigate policy makers' views about such laws in a setting where these have not yet been enacted but where published evidence exists on the hazard of smoking in cars and on relevant public support.


METHODS
A New Zealand (NZ) case study (of the NZ health policy community) used documents and qualitative in-depth interviews with 62 national-level and District Health Board (DHB)-level policy makers (during 2008-2009). Forty were government or nongovernmental organization officials, 5 DHB board members, and 17 Members of Parliament.


RESULTS
We found very strong themes of policy maker concern for the vulnerability of children and the need for their protection from secondhand smoke. There were mixed reactions to the idea of a smokefree law for cars with children in them. These themes and mixed reactions spanned both the "left" and "right" political parties. The evidence indicates that smokefree car laws are only barely on the NZ national policy making agenda. They are generally not seen as politically attractive, as effective, or easy to implement.


CONCLUSIONS
In this particular policy setting, there appear to have been assumptions by policy makers about the dominance of adult "privacy" over child protection. The lack of awareness in this particular (NZ) policy community of national-level public support for banning smoking in cars with children and of the progress elsewhere on such laws also suggests the importance of information and advocacy if such laws are to be progressed.
Thomson
George
G
Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Box 7343, Wellington South, Wellington, New Zealand. george.thomson@otago.ac.nz
Hudson
Sheena
S
Wilson
Nick
N
Edwards
Richard
R
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001336:Automobiles / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000517:prevention & control; D009520:New Zealand; D011050:Policy Making; D011639:Public Opinion; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012907:Smoking / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000517:prevention & control
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution