smoking around children and while pregnant?

Question

the new smoking ban thats happening on 1st july your not allowed to smoke in pubs bars cafes etc so why are you allowed to smoke in a house with children my friend her child has asthma she smokes around him constantly i think its wrong she knows i think this so why is this still legal also if you sat a young child down and gave it a cigarrette you would have social services on your back but if you smoke while your pregnant its your choice to me its exactly the same your still making your child smoke i dont understand the logic in it you can smoke around children who have no say in it but not around adults wheres the sense do you agree

just to point out i dont smoke i wont have it in my house or i wont take my children to my friends house i dont think much of her any more to be honest

even if they cant stop you smoking in your own home then why cant they monitor children especially ones with asthma say do a carbon monoxide test on them and if they have a certain amount in their lungs the parents should get fined or something

Answer 1

You are right there should be a law against smoking around children and smoking while your pregnant! Studys show now that its better to smoke then to be around second hand smoke not that smoking is good in any since. Its hard enough for a child to develop normaly and smoking just makes it harder. And your friend who smokes around her child who has asma should be hit in the head does she know that she could kill her child what if the child has an asma attach smoke isnt just in the room but in the childs clothes and walls of the house. Poor kid cant get away.

Answer 2

Hi..there is a lot of controversy over this particular issue. The State and Government officals want to ban smoking for several reasons but unfortunately they have to watch on how they proceed with this ban so it won't conflict with the certain rights one might have. The State and Federal officals can ban from public services on the smoking but they can't infringe the rights one has in their own home. There would be a lot of people going to court over this, if such act took place.Now some landlords are going with the concept that no smoking is allowed in their rentals but here again this is their choice. A person has a right to smoke, this is their choice, however a person doesn't have the right to inflict the danger to others outside of the home by what the Government and state officials are stating. Now some states are regulating that a person can't smoke in a vehicle with a child under the age of 18. Now I can understand this ruling but I feel that they are taking these new laws over the extreme. If the Government and state are going to regulate smoking then they need to regulate the drinking as well. Look at all the people that drink and drive and kill others for their drinking habits. Not only in their cars but also in their own homes. Look at some of these parents that get drunk and then abuse their children. I would rather be a child to where my parents smoked than to have my parent get drunk then abuse me physically or mentally. There is a fine red line here. I can see your point on this issue but you have to remember that people do have their rights in their own home regardless. Have a great day!

Answer 3

I think you are right. It doesn't make sense. I think the problem lies in the fact that politicians don't want to try to tell people what to do in their own homes, it is seen as too invasive and too controlling.
But....here is my story in brief:
I have quit smoking recently but I did smoke for about 5 years. I never smoked inside the house because I don't like the way it makes my house smell. Obviously this is a hard rule to follow if it is snowing outside but I would smoke on the porch or under some kind of shelter rather than indoors. When my wife and I first got together 3 years ago she smoked inside her house. Her 8 year old daughter had this nagging cough and she always acted like the kid had allergies or some kind of cold that wasn't going away. I convinced my wife to stop smoking inside the house because I said it bothers me. She agreed and guess what, after only one week the daughter's cough dissappeared. Three years later it has not returned. This child had been breathing her parents' second hand cigarette smoke all her life.
So it is not disputed that second hand smoke is bad for non- smokers. I say it is also bad for smokers too. I mean if you smoke a pack a day or whatever, you sure need plenty of fresh air to go along with it, in fact a smoker probably needs fresh air more than someone who doesn't smoke.
I wish no one smoked inside or at least had a smoking room set up with a vent fan.
I don't know how the authorities would ever enforce this. Make it illegal? Not likely. Pot smoking is illegal but that doesn't stop people from smoking it in their homes. I think education is still the best way. If smokers realized that they would like it better by not smoking indoors then maybe we'd get somewhere with this.

Answer 4

What your friend is doing is wrong, putting her kids at risk for asthma, for changes in their voices, etc.
I understand your being upset. Myself, I'm very happy about the bans in public places. They have already been in effect in my homestate, and I love being able to hang out in a bar with friends and not start coughing or stink like smoke at the end of the night.
But, smoking in your house...I don't think that will ever be legislated against. As society on a whole, we have such a strong sense of privacy and really resent the government coming into our homes. Just look at all the gun debates. How many accidents have their been in private homes where kids were killed or injured with their parent's weapons? To me, it's like, how people need to die before personal guns are banned? But to the people who believe in gun ownership, heck, even the people who support pornography, they talk about privacy and their rights until they are blue in the face. Some are willing to die to defend those rights. So, even though smoking in a house with kids is terrible, I don't think in this culture it will be outlawed any time soon.

Answer 5

I understand where you are coming from and totally agree. In fact, I do believe I heard about bills being introduced to protect children in their own homes in this regard. However, the slippery slope becomes a person's right to privacy. It is a right we have based on the bill of rights to have privacy to do as we wish in our own home. Once the government starts regulating certain activities in our homes, it just becomes that much easier to regulate almost all activities in our homes, so I can see a bill like this being met with a great deal of resistance, particularly from smokers. The only saving grace is that the welfare and health of a child are involved and as we have seen with other laws protecting children, sometimes the privacy line is crossed. Do not be surprised, however, if a smoking ban in homes with children passes, that we see similar attempts to ban other behavior choices that are considered dangerous to children, such as drinking.

Answer 6

Smoking is still legal. Drinking alcohol is legal. These parents are not committing a crime. While I agree that we live in the information age, and have studies and studies done linking smoking to cancer undeniably, and alcoholism as a hereditary trait by example, we should be safe guarding our children.

However, in many cultures (you can not deny one's culture) it is proper to train a young adult how to aquire proper taste in some wines. Also, some cultures teach their (yes literally TEACH by giving and showing) their young adults (13-18) how to smoke properly. You don't see this much because America is such a melting pot, it no longer represents the cultures it came from. Only the newer families in this country holdfast to their countries customs, over time they will be watered down to what we see everyday in America.

Answer 7

You are absolutely right. Smoking while pregnant and around children is child abuse. Before you go off and rant at smoking mothers, you need to weigh the aternative though. It can be worse for a fetus if a mother is under the stress of quitting and withdrawal than the smoking. It is best if she can quit but if she can't manage to quit, cutting down can be a big help. My sisters and husband smoke (I never have and never will, its stupid and nasty) and they sometimes smoke around my kids and I. I detest it but I have to ask myself is it really worth the conflict with family over a few instances of smoke. Smoking is horrible and smokers act just the same as junkies addicted to other drugs but, while I agree with you, I'm inclined to keep my mouth shut most times because I'd rather just live peacefully.

Answer 8

Your friend's behavior is reckless, but in most cases, the government cannot tell you what to do in your own home. Here in Dekalb County there are motor laws about smoking in your car with children and all the windows rolled up. If your friend really cared about her son's health, especially because he has asthma, she would at least consider smoking outside.

Answer 9

You are right in how stupid smoking while pregnant and around children is.
The thing is that once we allow the government to legislate on issues like this we are setting a precedent to allow them to legislate on every other issue that should be left private. We run a HUGE risk when we allow the government to legislate on anything and everything.

Answer 10

i think anyone would agree that its not a good idea to smoke around children or whilst pregnant ,yes.