Why do people smoke in their cars when the kids are riding with them ?

Question

What justification can there be for polluting childrens lungs with filthy smoke ? Freedom of choice goes both ways I always thought

Cinful - eh, great, thanks - but speaking as an ashmatic who most certainly suffers because of a smoking parent, and as someone who can't breath in the presence of smokers I not sure whether you think it's OK or not ??
However, I live in the country as far from pollution as I can, eat organic meats and veg, don't smoke or drink gin - and I judge because children don't have a say. Talk sense please.

Answer 1

Unfortunately people do not always think of others, and are unable to break their addictions. I watched my own father smoke until 2 weeks before he died of lung cancer, and he only quit because he was drifting in and out of consciousness and was not able to smoke anymore. Some people just cannot break the addiction, not for any one or any reason, not even their children.

Answer 2

Hi there. You just asked a very loaded question. Those same people will smoke while they are holding the baby also. How many pregnant women continue to smoke right thru their pregnancies? Most of them. I have seen women smoke while NURSING an infant! Why are people with babies allowed to sit in the smoking section of a restaurant? There is no end to the things that smokers will do. Somehow they manage to justify their behavior. They would probably tell you that they had the window down a crack and that way it is alright!
Have you ever picked up a sweet baby and the poor little thing just reeks of tobacco? I have and it makes me SO sad. I am afraid that the answer to your question is that some people just do not care.
Personally I think that people who smoke with their baby in the car should be fined in the same way that people who do not put their baby in a car seat are given a ticket. I agree with you, it is awful! These babies are prone to asthma and more respiratory problems of all kinds.
Where will it end? Don't these little children have any rights?
Express your feelings, I guess that is all we can do.
Take care,
Blessings,
Lady T~

Answer 3

I am a smoker! I have never smoked in the house or near my children. I would never dream of smoking in the car whether they are there or not. My babies are too important. I wish I could give up (tried more times than I could count)And to make matters worse I have just discovered that my seventeen year old has started smoking. I could kill myself as I am totally responsible for that, no-one else, me! So despite the precautions I took to avoid my children smoking I still failed.
Ashamed parent!!
Happy and healthy New Year.x

Answer 4

THi isnt a direct answer to question, persay. But i wanted to voice my opinion to all those people out there who ahve been balantly abusing smokers. I do hope people realize taht smokers too are humans, and smoking doesnt amke hem bad. It is a known dfact that 80% of smokers are those hwo have tried to quit(probably more than once) and just couldn't not because hey were "drug-addicts", but because it so happened taht just then an inoppurtubne and stressful incident came along and made them feel the need to smoke just to relive the stress. And they smoke to relieve stress because thats what they are used to. And i am not a smoker,btw.

goodluck with your lives, and ur tollerance level. In all probability ur children will end up with soem prolem because you haev been so vehemently intollerant toward it. perhaps not smoking, because it says taht it is carcenogenic on teh box.

Answer 5

In my own humble opinion I believe it's simply another form of child abuse. I guess the worst cases are the ones when they have the window cracked about an inch as if that's going to make a difference. Coming from an ex-smoker I can honestly say that if I was in that desperate need of a smoke I'd pull over.

Answer 6

What about the parents that drink in front of their children? What about the parents that feed their kids unhealthy foods? What about the parents that speed on the roads with a van full of young ones? There are a million others things that endanger our children, so why are you referring only to the smokers? You're not a smoker, so I'm guessing that you don't know a darn thing about having an addiction like that. Why post something like that on here? Are you trying to get a rise out of people? Why do people feel they have the right to bash everyone who doesn't live exactly like they live? I'm sure you've made some bad choices in your life...we all have! Get over it, and try to just be concerned with your own life and how you're living it.

Answer 7

It's strange, maybe they want to help their children by letting them die at the same time they do so that they don't have to pay for funeral? People, gosh, you never will actually know. When I go to the Pediatrician, he asks me questions and I usually stop him and complete the sentence, because I read a lot about children, and he said "you'll never guess how many people don't know what to do with their children." People don't think that it'll harm their children, but it will. I don't smoke or drink, because I want to live long and not die of cancer from smoke or liver. I saw a picture of a persons lungs who smoke and who don't smoke and that pretty much scared me straight. Second hand smoke kills also, and now in my Hampton roads they are now banning smoking in restaurants! Yippee! I see people hot boxing it with the windows shut and they say it's too cold outside so they don't want their children to get cold....Their children will get the raw end of the stick. I used to work in automotive and the people I used to see had SUV's and had a car seat in the front seat with many cigarette butts in the ashtray. There should be more awareness about this problem

Answer 8

because they have no regard for their precious little lungs, i suppose. I know it's the adults choice to smoke, but when other people (especially children) are involved in that choice, self control needs to be exercised. Smokers should not smoke anywhere that is enclosed, especially in cars and small rooms with no windows open..they should smoke outside only as far as I'm concerned! It's not only rude as well as emitting extremely harmful second hand smoke, it is just plain nasty!!

Answer 9

I figure because they're ignorant, and hopefully aren't doing it when they know it's harming their children.

They're talking about it making it a law here that you can't, and if caught, it's the same punishment as other child abuse cases. I hope they do, people who smoke around their kids should be punished.

The previous poster has it all wrong! It's not propaganda, give me a break. Second hand smoke kills people, and when those people don't have choice whether or not they want to be around it, shame on you!!!

Answer 10

It's absolutely terrible that parents do this. Whenever I see a pregnant woman smoking I feel like kicking her in the ***. Idiots. Anyways, I live in Nova Scotia, Canada and a bylaw was just passed that prevents smoking in any vehicle with children under the age of 18, incurring a pretty heavy fine if one were to be caught doing this. Our province was smoke-free as of December 6th. How f*cking awesome is that!

By the way all you f*cks (probably smokers) giving me thumbs down, I smoked for many years, grew up breathing in tons and tons of second hand smoke, so I do know just a little about addiction. I got over it and quit and haven't looked back. People who continue to smoke at this time in history are complete losers.

What about how the people on here try and justify that it's ok by comparing it to other bad things people do to their kids, as if that somehow makes it alright. "Well people do worse things like drunk drive so I guess I'll continue to blow smoke down my kids lungs". Pathetic world we live in.