Puff the Magic Dragon

As a result of a vote in Parliament, it will soon be a criminal offence to smoke in a car with children present. Surely a massive step forward in the protection of children. After all, second hand smoke alone causes 600,000 related deaths a year, including sudden death in infants. In fact, 31% of the deaths linked to second hand smoke are in children. It begs the question, what parent would smoke in a confined environment with a child in the first place?

However, that very question should make us stop and reconsider the celebrations over this new law. For surely, the very type of parent who would smoke in a car with their child, is the type of person who is far more likely to ignore the law and do it anyway. The same sort of person who will ignore the law and drive whilst on their phone or not worry about whether or not their child is wearing a seat belt. 

In reality, this law is no more than a gesture to child protection agencies which is all show and will change very little in real behavior. Rather than changing anything, a law like this will simply increase the pressure on the already over stretched law enforcement services costing the tax payer and wasting more police time. In fact, it will be virtually impossible for the police to enforce. It would make far more economic sense to spend money on improving the education around smoking, with hard hitting adverts designed to shock smokers into thinking especially about the effect they are having on their children. Creating a law rather than doing something which will actually make a difference is the governments attempt to look like they are acting, a quick gesture without thinking about the real implications of their actions.

Furthermore, whilst this law will have little consequences in our daily liberties, one must fear that it is another step on the slippery slope. The government clearly has good intentions in protecting children, however, it is another Utopian law which cuts away at freedoms in an attempt to eradicate any suffering. The problem with utopia is that it can only exist if we eradicate all freedom.  Liberal Democrat Health Minister, Norman Lamb, said, "you have to ask yourself the question, how important is the liberty that we're infringing here? The liberty to smoke in your car in front of a child doesn't seem to me that important and protecting a child's health does seem incredibly important." (BBC NEWS)

I in no way disagree with Lamb that it is not a cherished human right to be able to smoke in a car with a child. However, at what point do we decide the state is interfering too much? It is not difficult to envisage a future where every aspect of our personal lives is governed by law and freedom is extremely restricted. How long will it be before the government places restrictions on parents giving their children fast food? After all giving a child fast food puts them at risk of obesity, heart disease, strokes, depression and cancer. It's clearly as damaging as smoking in front of them. From there, how long before the government starts restricting more important freedoms? Such as the freedom to bring up your child with your own beliefs? There are many critics who argue it is child abuse to enforce religion on a child; it can make them close minded to other views and increases the likelihood of conflict in society. Or bringing up a child as vegetarian or vegan despite the clear health benefits of meat: a lack of iron in the diet can make a woman infertile.

Dwight Eisenhower said "if you want total security go to prison. There you're fed, clothed, given medical care and so on. The only thing lacking... is freedom."

If we want to be a modern democratic society with real and genuine freedom, rather than a society where every part of our lives is governed by law, we should be looking to educate citizens into becoming responsible individuals, rather than resorting to laws which restrict liberties and remove all sense of individual responsibility.

"Responsibility is the price of freedom" (Hubbard)

Lets focus on creating responsible, educated, human beings rather than obedient clones free of all choice.

Sources
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26131044
http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/tobacco/en/
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/junk-food-affects-children-5985.html