Should parents that smoke in car while their baby is in the car be charged with child abuse?

Question

What should be the punishment? If you were to write the law, how would you write it (i.e., what is the punishment, how old would the child be, etc)?

Answer 1

Yes, it is child abuse. It is so funny how everybody is up in arms about spanking but, not about smoking around your child. Inside or outside or in a car. Pregnant or not. Your spouse, partner or your self. If you are smoking around your child or grandchild is abuse. If you are pregnant and doing it the child should be taken at birth from you. If your kids are already born and your are smoking around them they should be taken from you and kept from you for at least 1 year. During that time you need to quit. You are killing your kids that way. It is something that you can quit easly if you put your mind to it. So be a man or woman about it and quit. It can't be that hard.

I live in Ca. And it is now illegal to smoke in a car with a child under 18. If caught it is a 400.00 fine.

Answer 2

In some states it is against the law to smoke in a car with a child under the age of 5. Never should anyone subject a child of any age to secondhand smoke.

Answer 3

I agree with all of the "yes" answers posted previously.

My parents did it to me when I was little too, and now I have asthma and chronic bronchitis all the time. Also I had to have a lung xray a few years back, and the doctor told me that I had lungs that were stunted in growth... hence my low lung capacity. My mother never has taken the blame for these problems onto herself and smokes like a chimney to this day. I won't even let her hold my 6 month old baby, her only granddaughter, because she always stinks of smoke and it irritates me that she won't change clothes before being around us or make any concessions to my daughter's health.

I wish that every state had laws like the one listed before me in California where smokers in cars with babies are fined. What an awesome idea!

My husband and I were at Golden Corral last weekend, and they have a separate "glass" room for smokers. There was a woman in there in the "cloud" feeding a baby in a high chair. It disgusted us!

Actually, I just wish they'd hurry up, declare tobacco a drug like cocaine and marijuana, and make the cr*p illegal!!!

Answer 4

Just as bad as a baby taken for a stroll on the sidewalk of a busy metropolitan street, child abuse might be going a bit far, if so, can I sue my parents for doing that to me..........

I don't think children should be subjected to it either, however we as a whole need to fix polution and drunk drivers before we start taking babys away from smoking parents.......is it far better to take a baby away from its loving mother and give him/her to a stranger until the parents quit. In 20 years you find out why you never knew your parents, because they smoked a cigarette....child abuse would be going a bit far.

Imposing such a law has larger implications than what first comes to mind. We all need to think hard about our choices of punishment/rehabilitation.

Answer 5

The parent is forcing the baby that has no choice but to inhale the smoke in the car is probably the same Mother that smoked why she is pregnant.

I think both offenses should be taken more seriously, especially the Pregnant women who refuses to quit while pregnant. She is already choosing herself over her child and the sad part is they know the risks for the child and still do it.

Basically by driving or smoking in closed environment you are forcing your child to smoke. In my eyes that no different than putting a little brandy in the baby bottle and you most defiantly would go to jail for that offense.

Answer 6

I know so many people whos parents smoked around them as babies, me my brother and my sister included and neither of us has asthma, i also know numerious people who dont have asthma even though they grew up in smoking homes. So that generality is out the window. As for charging someone with child abuse for smoking near their baby that is just a little extreme. What about the real child abusers out there who are more important to be investigated then children whos parents smoke. It would just clog up the system even more. Why dont we start suing the big companies that cause air pollution which ruins the air quality that babies breath in is that child abuse? What about all the toxins in the environment that cause cancer, why dont we complain about that if its more important. I agree its not right, but in now way should someone be charged with child abuse for it.

Answer 7

Yes they should and it's even a horrible site to see. I was walking down a side walk coming form getting lunch and i'm passing cars parked at the meter. I pass one car where a man is in the back seat with the window down and the baby right beside him and he's smoking a cig. And a lady was in the driver seat that just made me shake my head in disgust. The baby was every bit of 4-5 months. Charge these crazy parents!!

Answer 8

that is authentic. no one actual cares about everyone and the reason we've those issues on the instantaneous is because huge organizations and particular interest communities have stumbled on techniques to apply pop psychology and manipulated guidelines to get what they want on the price of those who're negative, ignorant and genuinely deceived. How do you stop it? yet turning out to be knowledgeable and not in any respect letting human beings pander to you so one can take income of you, it really is how.

Answer 9

I like hsp goddess' answer. Almost everyone I know who has asthma since they were a child had a parent who smoked around them as a baby. Coincidence? I'm sure a college out there somewhere has done a study.

Answer 10

yes, yes, yes, that child has no control over the situation and can not get up and move if they wanted to. We as adults know the risk of smoking and second hand smoke. Babies don't