Smoking around kids .... how bad??

meritaten

Svenena wrote: »

A research paper on "third-hand smoke":

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2010/02/04/0912820107.short?rss=1&ssource=mfc

I agree that toxins from industrialisation are bad too, but that's not a good justification to be a smoker (eg "oh toxins are out there anyway, so my smoking doesn't matter"). Otherwise we could use the same argument not to improve the toxic-output of cars, etc.

I appreciate smoking is highly addictive and some people are unable/unwilling to quit, in which case smoking outdoors is better than smoking indoors.

I read a statistic earlier when looking into this which said that 15% of smokers don't even believe in the effects of second-hand smoke, which I thought was pretty shocking - denial at its strongest! But in the past people genuinely didn't know about the effects, and maybe in the future we'll all be horrified at the idea of people inflicting "third-hand" smoke on children, who knows?

That seems to be all opinion and NO facts - not exactly informative! and not couched in the language I would expect from a research paper (in which case 'I' is not used, as forgive the pun, research papers are usually couched in the 'third person').

*Beki*

meritaten wrote: »

excuse me??? smokers shouldnt be allowed to have children?
begs the question 'Who should be allowed to have children then'?
Only the 'perfect' people?
and who decides who they are?????????????

Well if you look at how many interviews and inspections and the long screening process that people who adopt children go through, it begs the question why this is not more of a requirement when people have their own children! Of course going down that route becomes ridiculous, but I just wanted to point out the fact that people don't think about it enough. And that as other people have stated, are perhaps ignorant of the long term effects of things like smoking around children...

But then where do we put all these children with now no homes? We could have used Scotland, but it may be becoming independent.

:rotfl: My suggestion is of course hypothetical...

But there are a lot of situations that I feel people shouldn't have kids in, yet they still do.

Indeed!! :mad:

jtr2803

*Beki* wrote: »

Will probably make some people angry by posting this but I strongly believe that people who smoke shouldn't have children. It is, as you say, the same as other addictions, and nobody sane would dream of having a child whilst addicted to cocaine or any other drug. People believe that cigarettes are not as harmful but the damage to a small/unborn child can be severe. I can't believe that people who love their children so much would expose them to such a danger- it is not as if we are unaware of the risks in this day and age.

OP- good luck with sorting out your issue, I would definitely not want my child playing in the same room as someone puffing away on a cigarette. As someone who suffers from asthma I know how much smoke can affect it, and what a horrible and scary experience it is not being able to breath properly.

Oh I wouldn't stop there.....

• I'd ban anyone who has ever driven over the speed limit, even by 1mph from having children, they are clearly wreckless drivers.
• People who buy processed food from the supermarket also shouldn't have children, we all know it's full of cr*p - pesticides, hormones, anti-biotics and that sort of stuff. If they want children surely they should be prepared to grow their own food?
• All prospective parents should be deprived of sleep for five nights in a row and if they ever raise their voice then they won't be allowed children either, shouting at them might be considered as abuse.
• Absolutely no alcohol, we know what that can do to people.
• They MUST be married first and never allowed to divorce because obviously two parents are better than one, even if mum is suffering domestic abuse.
• No PC's either - wouldn't want the parents spending too long on facebook/MSE and neglecting their children.

No, I am not being serious.


'People' are allowed to do whatever the hell they want and you will find most responsible smokers will smoke outside or away from their children anyway, suggesting that they shouldn't be allowed to have children is ridiculous, they are far larger groups of people who should not be allowed to have children but smokers are just an easy target aren't they? I don't agree with smoking during pregnancy at all, I gave up as soon as I found out, but I don't dream of dictating who should, and shouldn't, be allowed to reproduce.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

A lot of the people who don't believe smoking affects the foetus or baby self selected themselves out of being parents, as they had miscarriages. It is so hard to see someone distraught at losing another baby, in tears, but lighting up yet another fag as they tell you they would have done anything to have a baby.


Same way, the person who has loads of sympathy for having her successful pregnancies all conclude with premature births of underweight children with breathing difficulties, shrugs her shoulders at 6 months and says 'baby 5 could be here any day now, so all ready for Special Care' and asked why, says 'I always have them small and early' whilst blowing smoke rings over baby 4's buggy hood whilst baby 3 coughs and splutters from the buggy board.


There are many reasons for premature birth and miscarriage, yes, but it's a fairly safe bet that 20 Mayfair and 4 spliffs a day isn't doing anything to help their situation. But you can't say a word, just mentally shake your head at how blinkered they are.

QuackQuackOops

*Beki* wrote: »

Will probably make some people angry by posting this but I strongly believe that people who smoke shouldn't have children. It is, as you say, the same as other addictions, and nobody sane would dream of having a child whilst addicted to cocaine or any other drug. People believe that cigarettes are not as harmful but the damage to a small/unborn child can be severe. I can't believe that people who love their children so much would expose them to such a danger- it is not as if we are unaware of the risks in this day and age.

OP- good luck with sorting out your issue, I would definitely not want my child playing in the same room as someone puffing away on a cigarette. As someone who suffers from asthma I know how much smoke can affect it, and what a horrible and scary experience it is not being able to breath properly.

When my generation were born about 60% of the adult population smoked. If you had your way, there would be a whole lot of people who wouldnt be here.
Plus, you are forgetting that smoking is legal.
I dont smoke but I dont believe that passive smoking is particularly harmful. There are some things that people do every day that are more harmful than passive smoking. Wearing perfumes and antiperspirants, for example, have come under attack for causing cancers.
Someone who wears those every day is far more likely to come to harm than spending one evening a week in a pub with smokers.
It doesnt smell nice, no. But neither do the majority of perfumes out there.
We are only just beginning to learn the effects of substances absorbed through the skin and its quite shocking!

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

QuackQuackOops wrote: »

When my generation were born about 60% of the adult population smoked. If you had your way, there would be a whole lot of people who wouldnt be here.
Plus, you are forgetting that smoking is legal.
I dont smoke but I dont believe that passive smoking is particularly harmful. There are some things that people do every day that are more harmful than passive smoking. Wearing perfumes and antiperspirants, for example, have come under attack for causing cancers.
Someone who wears those every day is far more likely to come to harm than spending one evening a week in a pub with smokers.
It doesnt smell nice, no. But neither do the majority of perfumes out there.
We are only just beginning to learn the effects of substances absorbed through the skin and its quite shocking!

A lot of them aren't; they've passed away in their 50s and 60s of horrible smoking related diseases and deprived their families of much loved partners, parents and grandparents, having affected the family for years with those illnesses.

And others weren't ever born for the reason their mother smoked and then miscarried or the child because a SIDS victim or they died of an asthma attack or chest infection.


It wasn't a spray of Rightguard that destroyed or ended those lives.

QuackQuackOops

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

A lot of them aren't; they've passed away in their 50s and 60s of horrible smoking related diseases and deprived their families of much loved partners, parents and grandparents, having affected the family for years with those illnesses.

And others weren't ever born for the reason their mother smoked and then miscarried or the child because a SIDS victim or they died of an asthma attack or chest infection.


It wasn't a spray of Rightguard that destroyed or ended those lives.

I think you have misinterpreted what I was replying to.

The other poster said that parents who smoke should not be allowed to have children.
I replied by saying in the 60's many parents DID smoke, so if the law was "you cant have kids if you smoke" many of us who WERE born then would never be here.

claire16c

Lotus-eater wrote: »

I was told by the nurse when my DD was born, that after a fag I shouldn't be around her for half an hour, because for that long afterwards I would be breathing toxic fumes on her.

Ive heard the same thing, to prevent cot death.

Scrapaholic

Interesting post . I was born to a mother who smoked throughout pregnancy in 1952 . Lived in a home with 4 smokers when I was a child . I think people didn't know the dangers then . I never suffered with chest problems + luckily, so far , I'm fine , health wise .Grandad lived till 85 + smoked all his life . Grandma till 72, mam 69, dad 75 all died with cardio vascular problems probably through smoking . I think it's the luck of the draw whether your health suffers or not but we have no way of knowing if we're one of the lucky ones . Looking back , I must have smelled really bad . I've never smoked . I remember the white walls in our home turning yellow with nicotine , and yellow fingers on my family . Totally disgusted me + put me off for life .

VitaK

I would be very upset if my children was being exposed to pasive smoking. Why risk serious illneses when it can be avoided.