London , England ( CNN ) -- A British doctors group called Wednesday for a ban on all smoking in cars , saying the secondhand smoke inside a vehicle can cause severe health problems for children and adults . The Royal College of Physicians made the recommendation in a new report on how secondhand smoke , also called passive smoking , affects children . The report found that , for children , secondhand smoke annually causes more than 20,000 cases of lower respiratory tract infection , 120,000 cases of middle ear disease , at least 22,000 cases of wheezing and asthma , 200 cases of bacterial meningitis , and 40 sudden infant deaths . These cases generate more than 300,000 doctor visits each year and about 9,500 hospital admissions , costing the National Health Service about £23.3 million ( $ 34.9 million ) each year , the report said . The findings were based on studies funded by Cancer Research UK and carried out by the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies . England 's chief medical officer , Liam Donaldson , said the report will contribute to the the government 's review of existing smoking legislation in England later this year . Smoking was made illegal in all public spaces in the United Kingdom in 2007 . `` This is a serious public health concern , '' Donaldson said . Health effects on children from secondhand smoke are `` entirely avoidable , '' the report says . It laid out a series of policy recommendations to reduce those effects , including the ban on smoking in cars . `` Smoke-free legislation should be extended much more widely to include public places frequented by children and young people , and to prohibit all smoking in cars and other vehicles , '' the report urged . The report also urged a hike in tobacco prices , more effective health warnings , more generic packaging for tobacco products , and tailored stop-smoking services . `` This report is n't just about protecting children from passive smoking , it 's about taking smoking completely out of children 's lives , '' said John Britton , chairman of the Royal College of Physicians ' Tobacco Advisory Group . Smokers ' lobby group Forest said the proposals `` go way beyond what is acceptable in a free society '' and are a first step to banning smoking in homes . `` We would n't encourage people to smoke around children , but adults should be allowed to use their common sense and act accordingly , '' said Simon Clark , director of Forest . `` We do n't need laws to regulate every aspect of our behavior . '' Clark said the report 's claims are a `` huge exaggeration . '' `` Unfortunately the anti-smoking industry is n't interested in compromise . It just wants to bully smokers until they quit , '' Clark said .
British doctors group calls for ban on all smoking in cars . Secondhand smoke in vehicle can cause health problems for children and adults . Smokers ' lobby group attacks proposals : are first step to banning smoking in homes .