title: Smoking in cars: knowledge, behaviours and support for smokefree cars legislation among New Zealand smokers and recent quitters.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) poses serious health consequences to non-smokers, and normalises smoking. Currently, there is no legislation restricting smoking in private cars in New Zealand. This paper supplements previous New Zealand studies on exposure to SHS in cars by examining smokers and recent quitters' knowledge and behaviours towards smoking in cars, and their support for two possible smokefree cars policy options.
  
  
  METHODS
  The New Zealand Smoking Monitor is a fortnightly survey that uses a self-refreshing panel approach. The questionnaire contains smoking- and cessation-related questions, including eight non-core questions addressing smoking in homes or cars. These questions were answered by 364 respondents in 2014. Responses were compared by socio-demographic variables and recent quit attempt status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Smoking in cars was common among the respondents in our sample: 63% had recently smoked in a car when they were the only person in it, and 27% had done so when there were other people present. Some groups of respondents exhibited information gaps around the harms (eg, compared with males, females had reduced odds of agreeing with the false statement: "it's OK to smoke inside cars if there are windows open", OR=0.41, 0.21-0.78); however, support for banning smoking in cars if there are children in them was consistently high across different sub-groups (92% overall).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data show the importance of providing specific information around the danger of smoking in cars, and strategies to enforce a complete smokefree rule in cars. Legislation may be required to further protect children from SHS exposure.
authors: Research and Evaluation, Health Promotion Agency, Wellington.
authors: Judy
authors: J
authors: Li
authors: Research and Evaluation, Health Promotion Agency, Wellington.
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Nelson
authors: Research and Evaluation, Health Promotion Agency, Wellington.
authors: Rhiannon
authors: R
authors: Newcombe
authors: Adjunct Associate Profession, Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors: Darren
authors: D
authors: Walton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001336:Automobiles; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D061845:Smoke-Free Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution