Do you think women who smoke while pregnant should be prosecuted for child endangerment?

Question

Or for that matter, ANY parent who smokes around their children?

I think they should. It makes me sick to see a pregnant woman smoking or both parents smoking in the car with children in the back seat and the windows rolled up.

Answer 1

It disgusts me too, but if we did that, we would also have to prosecute the jerks who feed their kids junk and soda and preservative-packed foods.

also, im a non-smoker and the habit makes me wanna puke. When I was pregnant, my husband wouldnt even let his friends light up around me even if we were outside, but if you do a little research, the only proven effect that smoking while pregnant has on the baby is lower birth weight. yeah, its an issue, but not a HUGE one.

Answer 2

If you think about all the people out there over the years that smoked and had normal healthy babies then there really isnt that much harm they say the biggest thing is low birth weight when you smoke i smoked with my first pregnancy and my son weighed almost 9 pounds so i dont think that is correct also now a days they have everything and anything under the sun you cant do while pregnant like eating cold cuts i worked at a sub shop when i was pregnant and lived on turkey and cheese and my son was fine so everyone needs to calm down

Answer 3

Really good controversial question!! I am a smoker, have quit as I am 19 weeks pregnant, but do have thoughts on this: If a woman (or man) can be prosecuted for disciplining their child in their own home with a spanking on the butt then they should be prosecuted for smoking while pregnant as well and for driving in a car with their child while smoking as well. HOWEVER, do we want to live in a country where our every moves are watched and restricted? Where's the freedom we supposedly have? It's yucky both ways!

Answer 4

No. I think women who smoke while pregnant should be given a drug cessation program, just like any women who finds out she is pregnant and is on drugs. All the people who think every woman should carry every pregnancy she experiences to term should also think about the mental, emotional, & lifestyle changes that go along with carrying to term a healthy pregnancy -- no chemicals in her diet, no going out to smoky bars, all things which might have been part of her lifestyle before. It can be a difficult transition at a time of great physical & emotional changes. Pregnant women deserve all the help and support they can get! Love & support, nothing but!

Answer 5

I smoked 3 packs a day when I got pregnant with my daughter. I wanted to quit as soon as I found out that I was pregnant but the doctors said that if I did I would lose her. So I cut down over time to 1 cig a day and then quit when I had her. My daughter is completely healthy.

I wish that more people would understand that Cigarettes are more addicting than Heroin!

Answer 6

I have never heard that a smoking mother can kill her baby. Give me a break. Then we need to prosecute all those people that, when I drive down the road, their cars are burning oil. Or when I drive down that road, they are blaring their stupid stereos. Oh, and Burger King and McDonalds, they are killing people too. And I also think that they should band DRINKING. What if I am driving down the road in my car and a drunk driver hits me and my KIDS? And they shouldn't let kid get their license till they they are 20. So one of those kids doesn't hit me in my car with my kids.

Don't tell me what to do with my pregnancy. You don't pay my rent or my insurance. It isn't against the law. If it was, we would be paying a lot of tax money. Which is a priority to you? A man holding your hostage and killing your kids and then you find out that a cop couldn't come to your house to help you because he is giving a mom a ticket for smoking?

Answer 7

While you are on your child endangerment campaign you should have all factors shut down, make vehicles illegal, boycott fast food, remove all televisions from homes, and fine people for the cosumtion of junk food. Because if you think smoking is the only thing endangering children you are a fool.

Answer 8

I totally agree. I smoke and when I got preg. I quite and after started agian (stupid I know) but never smoke in my house or car even if my daughter isn't with me.

Answer 9

I do think they should be charged with child endangerment, but then what about the people that let their kids be really overweight?? They should be charged as well. I used to smoke before I got pregnant and immediately quit after I took the home pregnancy test because I did not want to hurt my unborn baby.

Answer 10

did you know that it is far worse for a pregnant woman to quit smoking cold turkey that it is to cut down? When you see a pregnant woman smoking, do you ever think that she may have cut down from 3 packs a day to 1 cigarette? Don't judge a book by its cover.