Police won’t prioritise enforcement of car smoking ban

Police Scotland will not enforce a ban on smoking in cars when children are present as a priority, a senior police officer has told MSPs.

Assistant chief constable Bernard Higgins, speaking about legislative proposals to ban smoking in cars with children, said police officers would not focus on that crime at the expense of “the issues that cause people to die on our roads”.

The Scottish Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee is currently hearing views on the Smoking Prohibition (Children in Motor Vehicles) (Scotland) Bill.

The bill was introduced by Liberal Democrat MSP Jim Hume, who wants to subject those who smoke in a car while under-18s are present to fines or prosecution.

Alleged offences under the law would be subject to trial under summary procedure with a maximum fine of level 3 on the standard scale (currently £1,000).

Police officers would also have the option of issuing a fixed penalty notice.

While accepting the bill’s premise was a “significant health issue”, Mr Higgins said that second-hand smoke in cars wasn’t “a causal factor for people dying on Scottish roads”.

Mr Higgins reportedly told the committee: “We would have to prioritise what action we take to actually reduce the number of people that die on Scotland’s roads.”