Isn't breathing car exhaust as bad, or worse than breathing second hand cigarette smoke?

I heard abiout the new law in England, (and in some states in the US). But doesn't breathing car exhaust also lead to health problems? How come I can't walk down the street, or ride my bike, without breathing car exhaust? I swore as a child that when I grew up I would move to where there isn't so much car exhaust, but I guess there really isn't anywhere to go to escape it.. Yet they ignore that, and stress second hand cigarette smoke as dangerous?. Breathing car exhaust must be as bad, or worse, than second hand tobacco smoke. How about banning cars from the city center? They do it in Singapore. But maybe that would alienate voters, most of who could never live without their cars...

Answer:
Bring back the electric car.

Difference is that the cars are running outside, on the street.

One can smoke outside.. no problem with second-hand smoke there... but indoors and at close quarters, it is a different situation. One can avoid the road and street, but being in a restaurant with kids and smokers nearby is not nice, even though they have designated smoking sections.

It is not like you keep your face inches away from the car's exhaust. Yes, car exhaust is worse than cigarette smoke.. it can kill you in a short time if you were locked up in a garage with a running car.

If you spend all day in the midst of traffic, like a police officer or road cleaner or street vendor, yes you will have health problems from auto exhaust.

If you stop cars from the city center then you cannot run a business. Singapore has not banned cars... just restricted them. You can still get taxis and buses in the city center, and yes there are many private cars on the streets, but they pay a higher license fee and a daily toll (by displaying a sticker).

Most people don't pull their running car into a bar/pub or restraunt along with 40 other cars.. You don't want to breath either one. Singapore doesn't quite have the emissions laws that the US does and they don't have quite the freedoms you do either...

Many cities are indeed restricting cars in city centres for this reason. However, you cant compare exhaust and cigarette smoke in this way. Breath car exhaust in too high concentration and you poison your blood with carbon monoxide. Breath cigarette smoke and you not only increase your risks of respiratory cancer but you aggravate any respiratory condition you may have. To an extent this is also caused by vehicle exhaust. The truth is that "they" do not ignore problems of car exhaust, not only has legislation been passed to improve the basic emissions from vehicles per kilometre driven but also air quality targets are being set to protect the health of all citizens. The London congestion charge is partly driven by a target to reduce pollution from traffic and the smoking ban similarly has a number of targets. It tries to limit exposure to tobacco smoke for those of us who want clean air. It also provides another incentive for smokers to restrict their own consumption or give up. All in all the costs of health care and loss of human life due to air pollution are significant and to this extent I agree with you. We should welcome measure to improve the quality of air we have to breath. Just dont use these arguments against anti-smoking laws because there are other sources of pollution as well.

Car exhaust is much worse than cig. smoke. IN FACT, FACT there is no PROOF that second hand smoke causes anything, it's all speculation. Scientist are not even 100% sure if smoking is the cause of things such as lung cancer, or if it's genitics.

2nd hand smoke is everywhere as well as car fumes... But, 2nd hand smoke is "forced" upon people who dont smoke, by those who do, because they think its thier "right" to smoke, and commit slow suicide!

2nd hand smoke causes lung cancer, and other lung diseases (my parents smoked and I have asthma!).

Now, car exhaust is usually located outside. Its a fact of life that we need cars now, and they are not just a "convinience", they have become a necessity in our modern world. Yes, carbon monoxide is worse than carbon dioxide and carcinogens, as it can kill you quicker, by replacing the oxygen in your lungs and paralyze your lungs into not working. But, you have to have a high concentration of carbon monoxide where as the wind and air diffuses it and carries it away, so your left with a minute portion.

There is more concentration of co2 and carcinogens in a home of a smoker than outside on the highway with car exhaust! Plus, the baby inside the home is "trapped", where as you may move from a high concentration of carbon monoxide area on the street.

I wish you well...

Jesse

You can kill yourself with car exhaust -- many have. Both are bad. As for banning cars, most cities have been designed with cars in mind. Wouldn't it be nice if all cities had "no car" zones? I think they'd be very popular.

Second hand smoke is awful to put up with. Since so many smokers seem to be inconsiderate, it apparently has to be legislated. Sad, but a step in the right direction, in my opinion.

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Isn't breathing car exhaust as bad, or worse than breathing second hand cigarette smoke?

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