The ban on smoking in cars has been hailed a great victory for children's health by Birmingham health boss, Councillor John Cotton.

The move, which aims to protect under-18s from second-hand smoke, was voted in by 342 MPs, with 74 standing against it.

The legislation which is set to come into force on October 1 will make a huge difference to the lives of thousands of children in Birmingham, according to Cllr Cotton.

Although members of the public are protected in public transport and work vehicles due to the smoke-free legislation however, large numbers of children are exposed to high and potentially toxic concentrations of second-hand smoke when in their family cars and the new legislation puts the health of children at the forefront.

Children are particularly vulnerable to passive smoke due to the smaller size of their lungs and their lesser developed immune systems, leading them to be more susceptible to respiratory and ear infections triggered by second-hand smoke, which results in more than 165,000 new episodes of disease a year among children in Britain and around 40 sudden deaths of infants.

Adults smoking in cars with children passengers place the youngsters at particular risk. Research has found that, due to the small, enclosed spaces within cars, a child in the centre of the back seat is exposed to around two thirds of the amount of second-hand smoke in an average smoke-filled pub, even if only a single cigarette is smoked and the car is moving and the window is kept half open.

If the car is stationary with the window kept closed, the levels increase to more than 11 times that of a smoke-filled pub.

Cllr Cotton, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “Nearly half a million children in England are exposed to second-hand smoke in family cars every week, putting them at increased risk of a wide range of conditions, including respiratory illnesses, meningitis and asthma.

The staggering fact is that 300,000 GP appointments are made every single year as a consequence of children suffering the effects of second-hand smoke and I'm delighted that MPs have at last voted to put the needs of those children first.

In addition to protecting our children, this legislation may also encourage some smokers to quit and if that's the case, our Stop Smoking Service in Birmingham is there to help.

This is not about punishing smokers - it's about protecting innocent victims of a habit that ruins far too many lives."