The law to be introduced in January, banning smoking in cars with children, will carry the lowest fines in Europe for such an offence, Health Minister Chris Fearne said today.

Malta will become the sixth country in Europe to introduce such a ban, and anyone caught smoking in a vehicle carrying passengers under the age of 18 will be fined €50.

This penalty is lower than fines in France (€68), Cyprus (€85), Ireland (€100), Italy (up to €650) and the UK £50 (€56).

Malta’s law will go further than some in also penalising the use of e-cigarettes, for which there is limited evidence of second-hand harm.

The cut-off age of 18 is also higher than France and Cyprus, which have limited the ban to children under the ages of 12 and 16.

Where an adult passenger is found to be smoking in the car, both they and the driver will receive a fine.

Mr Fearne said the dangers of second-hand smoke posed a particular risk for young children.

“Second-hand smoke contains at least 250 toxic chemicals, including more than 50 carcinogens. In children, there is evidence that it increases the likelihood of ‘cot death’, asthma, and long-term developmental lung damage,” he said.

Training for police and wardens will begin immediately, ahead of the ban being introduced at the start of next year.

“Our message is going to be that people should not smoke anywhere if children are nearby,” he added. “Hopefully we will not need enforcement. Studies overseas have shown that these measures are effective at reducing the prevalence of smoking in cars without increasing it in homes and other private spaces.”