Can pregnant women who smoke and drink blame the government for not giving them guidelines?

Question

There's a programme on ITV in which pregnant women who binge drink say the Government does not provide them with guidelines on safe drinking during pregnancy. If the Government provides guidelines on diet during pregnancy, it would surely be accused of running a nanny state. So what do people want the Government to do? Have we as a nation lost the ability to distinguish what is good from what is bad and to look after ourselves? Do you have sympathy for these women?

Thanks everyone for your sensible answers. Of course, I think pregnant women shouldn't drink or smoke and put their babies at risk. Years ago, there didn't use to be guidelines on this or that, yet people knew what was best for them and their unborn babies. I am just shocked by the sheer ignorance and irresponsibility these drinking young mother show in the ITV programme.

Answer 1

How bloody stupid. If you smoke and drink you know the risks. The government makes the companies that make fags print "Smoking Kills" on the packet, that should be enough.

Mothers who smoke are 75% more likely to give birth to babies with health impairments or a disability.

Answer 2

Any sensible woman will know it is not beneficial to smoke or drink when pregnant. It therefore has nothing to do with the government. I have no sympathy for the women who carry on smoking and drinking and then if something goes wrong blame everyone else but themselves. There is plenty of information about these matters if the women are prepared to look for or ask for it. There can be no excuses.

Answer 3

It's not safe at all to drink while pregnant, even if you are not pregnant, you are still poisoning your body by smoking and drinking, drinking while pregnant doesn't just harm you, it harms your unborn baby too, so no, the women who binge drink while pregnant can't blame the government for not giving guidelines, I have absoutely no sympathy for these women, they must surely know that this sort of behavoiur while pregnant isn't doing their unborn any good. Oh well, if they want to harm their child while they are pregnant, that's their desicion, but they can't blame the government for not giving therm the guidelines, That was something we all learned in biology class in school, plus, we all know that smoking is bad for you, so smoking whioe you're pregnant just shows what kind of mother you're going to be.

Answer 4

My word!
It's a given that pregnant women shouldn't drink or smoke.
Especially not binge drinking, you need to look at it this way, mothers don't give their week old baby a gin and tonic and a pack of marlborough lights and send them on their way do they!
If anyone is to blame for the poor mothers that don't know this, it is their parents themselves.
Many of my friends have sought counsel from their mothers on what they can and can't do and are careful about one cup of coffee...hardly a night out at Liquid!
It's not 'we as a nation' that have lost the ability to distinguish good from bad when it comes to health, it's selected individuals and they are trying to use society as an excuse.

Answer 5

No they have only themselves to blame, every person especially pregnant women know what is harmful to their unborn children and many give up smoking and drinking during pregnancy. So common sense prevails when they think for themselves and stop relying on HM Government.

Answer 6

These women who look to blame anybody, especially the Govt, for their stupidity, whether it be real or just to get attention, need to get a life!! They are mostly adults, who know what the dangers of smoking, drinking, eating bad, are... C'mon, they say that because they don't want to "own" what they are doing - it's always easier to blame someone else for your misgivings, right??? GROW UP before you start bringing innocent little babies into this world who don't have a chance in you-know-where of having a decent life with a mom like them... Oh yeah, and getting to know Jesus and trusting in Him would solve most of their problems - now how difficult is that?

Answer 7

No, I have no sympathy, it has been very prominently publicised the damage that Smoking & Drinking does to the human body as well as to the unborn child that is inside its mother. What is up with people nowadays? Can't they think for themselves anymore? No, I guess that would be too hard for the low IQ cretinous morons that seem to think it's their god given right to p1ss and moan about anything that they damage themselves with because nobody told them about the risks, they cannot bear to blame themselves for ANYTHING, it's always someone elses fault, no matter what it is, it's the other persons fault, it makes me so angry.

Answer 8

i don't see the adaptation between adult males, or women smoking, the two are the two risky, the two reason lung issues, the two p*ss me off whilst i'm the guy who has to breath it in. i've got by no skill heard of any discrimination linked with smoking and ingesting, if there is, those everybody is punctiliously ignorant and should be tied up in chairs with 4 human beings all 4 corners of the room smoking, circling them, blowing the smoke into their faces till their hearts fail. i think of that explanation why they %. on women human beings is as a results of the actuality that there are greater women human beings human beings who smoke than adult males, and smoking could reason many risky effects to their toddlers whilst pregnant, i've got additionally considered many females human beings carrying toddlers of their palms collectively as blowing smoke into their toddler's face, permitting the toddler to breath it in. i could not' have confidence the sight, women human beings sitting in parks collectively as the little little ones play, smoking, as though oblivious to the smoke it fairly is now floating in the process the ambience around the park which they're going to right away breath in. that's terrible! adult males I see with their toddlers are likely continually those which could administration the temptation. adult males are not those that are continually under the impression of alcohol, (i'm not blaming women human beings here) yet to launch the strain women human beings can each so often get greater under the impression of alcohol than adult males. Even pregnant women human beings do it, i be attentive to because of the fact I hear approximately those issues, see those issues and only be attentive to those issues. those are the justifications why human beings prefer to %. on women human beings.

Answer 9

Not at all, . However, ignorance is bliss I guess.
I certainly would have stopped drinking and smoking had I known what I know now! I have given up drinking and smoking now though, I am in good health but want to give myself a chance to remain in good health. I think its down to common sense.
We as a nation are far to happy to blame everything on every one else by ourselves, denial - denial - denial.
And denial ain't a river in EGYPT either!

Answer 10

No, absolutely not. There are warnings everywhere about drinking and smoking during pregnancy. However in the this litigious society you can sue anyone for anything. I have no sympathy for them. I feel bad for their unborn children because they don't have a choice.