Why do parents who smoke around their children try to justify their actions?

Question

I recently asked a question about making a law banning smoking in homes with children and was appalled to get so many smokers worried about their rights. Do they not have TV, internet, newspapers? All the facts are out there. Do they really think they can sit there and not agree that smoking causes so many serious conditions in everyone most importantly children that can’t escape it? It makes me sick to my stomached to have to give children breathing treatments everyday and know that the parent is smoking in the home knowingly doing this to their children and I’m suppose to mind my own business? I don’t get it. I would love to here a real answer and not a selfish, immature answer about America is a “free” country. Free for whom? Not these kids that can’t tell us we are killing them by exposing them to smoke day after day. Please explain to me how this is not child abuse?

Answer 1

Because admitting you are wrong is harder than anything. If they can justify their actions then they are not bad people.

It is dangerous, and its sick. I hate people who do that to their kids. Its just down right selfish.

Answer 2

These parents do not realize, and/or want to admit, that they are selfishly causing harm to their children.

These parents are more concerned about their rights than the rights of their child(ren).

I grew up in a smoking household. My body and belongings always reeked of cigarettes-I did not realize it but others would tell me. I was immune to it because it was all I ever breathed. Once I moved out, I realized it because my lungs cleared and now being around the smoke makes me nauseaous. Our house was literally in a haze at all times, as were our vehicles. Everythign was yellowed by teh smoke. I also attribute a lot of health issues to the smoking. But, apparently my mother's right to smoke matters more than my right to health and happiness.

I wish that it was illegal to expose our children to such toxins, and think that some day it will be.

I also think it is obvious that a person is more likely to smoke when they are ignorant, verses an educated person. That is why you get the ignorant answers about it being a "free country" and that they have "rights". Nowhere in our Constitution do I see the right to knowingly and intentionally harm ourselves, much less our children!

Answer 3

I did smoke 20/day but I gave up immediately when I suspected I was pregnant, and after she was born, I just had an 'odd one' every now and then.

As crazy as this sounds, I temporarily started again when I was diagnosed with (a non-smoking related) cancer.

Even when I did smoke, I would never smoke infront of a non-smoker. Especially not a child. I knew the risks and would never subject anyone else to them against their choice. Do these people not have a garden or a back door to stand outside of?

edit-----
The 'what about my rights' bit is bull. Ask it from the child's point of view "Do I have the right not to have my life put in danger against my wishes?"

Answer 4

I'm with you, I can't stand to see people smoking around their children. I have never allowed anyone to smoke around my kids. My friend has a premature daughter that has asthma and she lets people smoke around her all the time, she says it is rude to ask people not to smoke around them.Can you believe that?! It makes me furious when I pull up at a stoplight and the car next to me has the windows rolled up and smoking with kids in the back seat! It should be considered child abuse because there are a lot of conditions that are cause by smoking and if you are the one that did it it should be wrong. You would get arrested if you hit your kid so much that it caused medical problems and I don't think this should be any different.

Answer 5

Though this is a strong measure, I have to agree with it. A close friend of mine has parents who smoked, but they never put their children in danger when doing it. They alwasy went onto the porch or into the garage to smoke, it was never allowed in the house.

If a parent insists on smoking, then do it outside and away from the children, especially if the child is already of poor health. I don't understand how some people could put their own selfish wants over the health and safety of their own child, and even over their OWN health! It just baffles me...

Answer 6

I could not agree with you more! It is sick that people think it is okay to smoke around their children-this exposes them to all sorts of health risks that they should NOT have to deal with at such a young age and when they have no choice, they cannot get up and go outside when their parent lights up a smoke. I find this absolutely appalling. And not one of them can give a reasonable explanation to justify their actions-they are just fools putting their children's health at risk.

Answer 7

They're living in self-denial that there's nothing wrong with smoking. The cigarette companies still maintain that there's nothing wrong with smoking, and that there is no concrete evidence for all the possible consequences we know there are, and these smokers believe them. If nothing else, they'll probably tell you that they're grandfather smoked a pipe without a filter(like there's much difference, at least for second-hand smoke), and he died peacefully at a ripe old age. Fact is, they don't want to be told that what they're doing is wrong; if not, they will have to change, and they definately don't want that.

Answer 8

I don't think it's right to smoke with kids around either, but get off your high horse.
You probably do a LOT of things that other parents would consider wrong. It's a ridiculous concept to start banning everything that's bad, otherwise we'll end up with nearly everything you can think of being contraband. Get real.

Answer 9

First off asthma is not always related to smoking. What about the cars that sit idle for 5 or 10 minutes, do you not think that could cause health problems? What about pollution from factories who refuse to conform to government standards, could this cause health problems? I don't feel the need to justify my smoking habbit. It is a concious choice that i decided to make. My entire family right down to my great great grandfather were all smokers and all died of natural causes in their late 70's. I live in a basement apartment which only 2 windows can be seen from the outside and i do not have a balcony or balcony door so i don't have the luxury of smoking outside when i want. I smoke in my bathroom as that is our designated smoking room. These people who say they smoke outside do they really sit outside in the middle of a snowstorm or when its freezing rain to smoke, i don't think so! Perhaps you are resentful because your friends child has asthma and you have to give him breathing aids.
my parents smoked 3 packs a day between them and i grew up perfectly healthy aside from epilepsy which is not related to smoking.
My son is 11yrs old and says he would rather me smoke in the house because my smoke hurts the air which it does it deprives the environment of oxygen just like your car does. Perhaps we should ban the use of cars altogether because all the pollution they produce is what is really killing us.
God get off your high horse and stop acting like you are all that.
FYI back in the 70's women smoked while giving birth and doctors didn't seem to think it was a problem so why should it be one now. Social brainwashing to make us people think we are comitting a crime.

Answer 10

I know. My mom smokes. I remember when I was younger, we'd be in the car and my my and her friend would be smoking, while me and my sister were in the backseat tryin to cover our faces so we could breath. My mom doesn't smoke around us anymore, though.

Answer 11

My parents smoked around me and im fine, perhaps it gave me a tendency towards smoking, but i know my kid won't smoke. I ventilate the car well, and wish I didnt do it, but I do, a smoker can justify anything. Like a heroin addict can. I can't tell you that its not child abuse, all I know is that I try to keep him as far away from me as I can when i do it. ak. I can't even believe i'm admitting it.