Why do people smoke in the presence of children? I ask them and they say "It hasn't harmed me, so why them"???

Question

The information that about now, is overwhelming in it's proof that smoking DOES harm the people around them, yet these selfish smokers WILL continue to poison those babies & children who, they say, "They Love so much".

I smoked from the age of 10 up to the age of about 35 years, (I am now 73) BUT when it was proved that smoking kills and causes those terrable lung conditions and a cough that DOES NOT SEEM TO STOP even now, I am utterly appalled when I see these people, as I have mentioned before, smoke in front of their & others' babies & young children.

I stopped so can they, but the answer seems to be that these people have NO will power and are selfish into the bargain.
Any comments folks?

Answer 1

I work with patients with respiratory conditions, and the number of times I have had to stop patients nearly killing themselves to go outside for a cig.......very often on oxygen too!!!
I do hate to see parents smoking in front of children. They know it can cause asthma and cot death in kids but they still do it. Selfish b*******s.

Answer 2

Absolutely agree, but then again, I am a reformed smoker too. People are weak, I was weak, and so were you for a long time while you were smoking. The fact that we have overcome our addiction makes it all the harder to understand why others can't. "If I managed to quit, why can't you?"
It is a physical addiction though, and until they realise that fact, they will never quit and will make up cr*p excuses to continue smoking.
How many times have you heard the old chestnut, "Oh, I really enjoy smoking"? No they don't, but it is the addiction talking. You just have to wait until they realise that the weed is in control of them rather than the other way about and be as supportive as you can afterwards. Oh, and don't let them smoke around you. Tell them "you wouldn't invite an alcoholic pon a pub crawl, would you?" and they should go outside voluntarily.

Answer 3

Just for the record, I am not a smoker.

But what gives you the right to say what is right and what is wrong.

My parents smoked around me as a child (not a small baby i might add) and I have grown up a non-smoker, and I am fit and healthy. Like you are so keen to point out that people say "It didnt do me no harm".

Smoking does not make you an unfit parent. How dare you say that, when there are non-smokers in the world who actually physically harm their baby.

Answer 4

You are so right. As an ex-smoker, I can now admit that I was selfish. I wanted to keep my cigaretts and convientely chose to believe it wasn't hurting anyone else because of the fact that both my parents smoked with all of us in the house and even though my siblings didn't smoke, they turned out fine. I don't know why it happened when it happened, but I am glad that it did snap inside of me to quit. At the time my baby son was 4 and in Pre-k and I would walk him to school and one day I just started wondering if I would be there for him through elementary. It might be in connection with nearing my 40's also. I am now eating healthier and exercising also. But I will say that no matter what comment anyone made, it didn't matter to me because I was still going to smoke. It was my decision to quit and I think it has to be like that for most people.

Answer 5

I may get a thumbs down or two here, but I take offense to your question.

I'm reading that you, a former smoker, say it was ok for you to smoke then because you didn't know it was bad for you like we do now.

Did you cough then? I bet those cigarettes weren't filtered, were they? Did you smoke around kids? Heck, you were a kid!

To imply that people don't love their children because they smoke around them is a tad harsh, isn't it? Yes, we do know better now. That doesn't mean that nicotine is any less addictive.

They can start arresting pregnant women when cigarette smoking is illegal. Until then let's try and be supportive and help people quit rather than bash them for being evil, polluting smokers. It's just more neighborly.

Answer 6

It is a very bad habit. I am a smoker who has 2 children myself. Which I am aware of all the facts of 2nd hand to even 3rd hand smoke. It may of been easy for you to stop. But other people might have it harder to quit. People have different ways they may need to quit smoking. Others that want to quit dont have the money to go and spend $40-50 on nicotene patches. So they end up smoking b/c they feel there is no hope.But you really have to see PEOPLE are only human and they are quite different than you.

Answer 7

The addiction to cigarettes is extremely powerful because nicotine isnot just an addictive substance but also one that has a calming effect, resulting in a feeling of well-being. In addition, the manufactureres of these evil things have added so many substances about which we don't know a lot - including whether THEY might not also be addictive.

Many smokers cannot face the possibility that they could be on emotional tenterhooks - very few of them would go to their doc and say "I am anxious, I need something (to replace cigarettes) to calm me down"; many are of your generation of the one before.

Some people have such deep-seated anxieties that they CANNOT think about the effect of smoke on other people, especially children, so wrapped up are they in their miseries; chain-smoking is barely holding them together.

Answer 8

It's because they are selfish and want to continue smoking where and when they want no matter who it hurts. The smoker that does this is putting his own wants/addictions ahead of others. Now, having said that, it can be more difficult for some to quit than for others; however, they should respect children and nonsmokers enough to not smoke around them.

Answer 9

People should stop smoking in front of children the same day that everybody stops driving cars as these cause far more pollution then smoking. If you don't like people smoking nearby then MOVE!!! I am an ex-smoker (gave up 2 1/2 years ago) and it irritates me that its considered fine to try to stop other people from doing what they want. Whats next - stop drinking, stop eating unhealthy foods. Just because a number of people don't do something doesn't mean nobody should!!!!

Answer 10

I am a smoker and have been for years. And I detest parents smoking round their children. Pushing a pram down the road with a *** dangling out of their mouths.
I have no children, but would try my hardest to give up.
I also hate it when people take their children into a smokey pub. Fair enough if it has a restaurant but not a 'drinking man's pub'

Answer 11

Your completely right, it's utterly ridiculous that adults continue to do this when they know full well of the dangers. I hate to see it and I will make it known if I'm around anyone who does. Not only do the adults know about it but children do too, I overheard a boy of about 9 asking his mum why she was smoking when it says on the packet that she will die. Totally heart rending to see how upset the boy was when he asked this and of coure his mother couldn't reply because she stunned, and what could she say anyway. It's a sad issue.