The Next Step For A Smoke-Free Generation: a multidisciplinary study of opportunities for expanding smoke-free environments in the Netherlands (translated from Dutch) 253 7 Both national politics and the local community level play an important role in protecting public health and thus achieving a Smoke-Free Generation by 2040. Currently, there is no national legislation on smoke-free cars and playgrounds. Seven out of 10 communes have taken the initiative to introduce local informal establishing smoke-free zones, such as playgrounds and sports fields.16 The danger of this local approach is that the national spearheads fade into the background and regional differences in health policy emerge, possibly resulting in undesirable health disparities. The findings of our study show that national policy is needed to achieve smoke-free (children’s) environments as described in the parliamentary letter. Depending on the context, additional measures can be introduced locally.7 Conclusion The results of this multidisciplinary study showed that extending smoke-free environments to cars and playgrounds can make an important contribution to the approaching goal of a Smoke-Free Generation by 2040. In doing so, the health of the child should be central and the policy should be designed in close connection with other policies aimed at creating smoke-free environments and discouraging tobacco use. In the Netherlands, we have a high level of support for existing smoke-free policies as well as for their extension. Legally, there are plenty of opportunities to extend smoke-free environments to places like cars and playgrounds. It is time for the Netherlands, following the example of many other countries and as part of a broad package of national tobacco control measures, to take further steps to reduce exposure to tobacco smoke and the additional harmful effects on children’s health.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTk4NDMw