Now that we know without a doubt that passive smoke is harmful, should foster or adoptive parents be required?

Question

to be nonsmokers? Is it reasonable to expect that a child be guarenteed (to the extent possible) a healthy environment to grow up in?

Answer 1

I am a smoker, and I seriously think that NO parent should smoke in the house, car, etc. around the kids. I have never smoked inside my house since we bought it. I smoke outside. Secondhand smoke is dangerous, and I dont want my kids getting sick because of my selfish habit. If you smoke in the house with a child, you are an irresponsible parent, whether its a foster parent or not. Enough said.

Answer 2

There's no doubt that second-hand or passive smoke is to some extent harmful to those who breath it in a closed environment such as offices or the home. I don't believe it's yet to be proven just how harmful it really is; that is, what it does to the non-smoker. At least categorically.This likely varies according to susceptibility. But to require by law or some other means that a smoker cannot smoke in certain private places or in open public places, for that matter, seems a bit too extreme. If a child has asthma or other problems, it is reasonable for a smoking parent to refrain from smoking in the home. Otherwise, I think that a parent who smokes could confine his smoking to a place away from children. Are any of us really guaranteed a healthy environment today? It's something that is often unknown in the environment that later proves unhealthy. Yet, we have all lived with the environment that we have and with only a few exceptions, we are not too much the worse for it.

Answer 3

No! I have no problem with recommendations being made but just how many laws do you want to impose on the lives of private citizens and what will be next. Will we implement laws against the wearing of perfumes and colognes as most would be very surprised by how many people are extremely allergic to these substances. How about laws that all parents must provide no less than so many vegetables or fruits per day/week because we know that children need balanced diets. Better yet, why don't we have laws against buying children sodas or candy because look at the problem of obesity among children. Why don't we just have our children and hand them over to the government to raise till they are 18. No, I'm not a smoker; just someone who thinks there is a limit to how many laws we realistically want governing our lives.

Answer 4

We also know that car emmisions are harmful and carcinogenic. Cars produce so much more than second hand cigarrette smoke. A car burns fuel at an approximate ratio of 15/1. 15 parts air to 1 part fuel (by weight). What this means is that for every gallon of fuel (approx 8 pounds) you burn about 120 pounds of air. The combined pollution is 8 +120+128 pounds of pollution per gallon. Or lets say 1 gallon takes you to work , thats 128 pounds of carcingen into the air per trip to work. Lets say you smoke 2 cigarettes during the trip. That's several ounces of pollution. Did you know that studies have shown that for children living in cities 20% of their lung capacity has been destoyes by car pollution by age five? Perhaps we should ban cars.

Answer 5

I guess I always assumed that they would be required to not smoke. Of course, I guess once a child is adopted, if a parent decides to smoke, there probably isn't anything that can be done about it.

Answer 6

Parents who smoke near children should be charged with child abuse and child endangerment if they smoke in the house.

Personally, I think it should be legal to throw water on anyone who smokes in your presence without your permission, and the person throwing water would not be charged with assault. You warn them once, and throw water if they don't stop or move away. If the butthead reacts, the smoker get twice the normal prison time for assault.

Answer 7

Yes, my grandparents adopted 5 children, all of which had mothers that used drugs while they pregnant with them and were later abused. They should not have to deal with anything like this anymore.

Answer 8

Yes

Answer 9

that would be a nice thing to require but becaus there are not enough people out there that want adopt or foster children it would be to hard to require that the children need safe homes

Answer 10

Go outside and smoke your cigarettes. If that was zour child zou should have smoked while pregnent to make it a smaller child. I was born with a big big head. sorrz momma.