Do you remember the eighties? They were great days, were they not? Senna and Prost are jousting for a title, Nigel Mansell is flying the flag for Britain, and almost every single car in Formula 1 is emblazoned with tobacco advertising. Marlboro became practically synonymous with McLaren, a stark contrast to today. Whilst we may look back at the drivers and races with fondness, there’s no doubt the sport’s decision to steer away from tobacco advertising has been welcomed.
It’s likely that if you went to a Formula 1 race in the eighties, you’d be in the car with a smoker. Indeed, in the eighties, smoking prevalence in the UK was around 37%, but by the 2010s, that had fallen to just 21%. In 2023, the figure was as low as 12.9% and falling even further. In the United States, smoking prevalence was 29.9% in the eighties but had dropped to just 14.2% by the turn of the last decade. There have been many reasons for the change – smoking bans certainly helped, but numbers have fallen since that has been extended to cars. It’s ironic that in the eighties, the fast cars of Formula 1 promoted smoking, but in 2024, the prohibition on smoking in cars is helping to drive change.
The Laws
The laws around smoking in cars vary depending on where you are based. A blanket ban on smoking in cars where children are present came into effect in the UK as part of the Children and Families Act 2014. That act also made it an offence for an adult to buy cigarettes for anyone under the age of 18, a further reason for the steady decline in smoking numbers. Eleven states (Alabama, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia) have passed similar laws in the US.
Curiously, if you are alone in your car and wish to lighten up, a few specific laws currently prohibit that. If you’re heading to Monza to watch a race, then you certainly cannot lighten up. Italy has a complete ban on smoking in cars, one of just three EU countries to ban it altogether.
How To Quit
If you’re a driver with little people, or you don’t wish to fall foul of the police if you’re caught smoking behind the wheel, then there are methods that can help you quit. In the eighties, the most popular form of smoking cessation was nicotine patches – they were first developed in 1984. Back in the day, they looked much like a standard sticking plaster, but today, the Nicorette Invisi Patch is…
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