I'm of mixed opinion on this one tbh, I'm a non smoker and have never smoked but personally I dont agree with the persecution of smokers, its their choice to smoke and I've gotta say if I was a smoker and someone came over and told me I shouldnt smoke in my own car I too would tell them to piss off and mind their own business!

However I've gotta say if someone needs a fag so much surely (for short journeys anyway) you could either have it before you get in or after you get out. It pisses me off when I'm driving behind someone and they chuck a fag end out of the window, I dont wanna drive over your still burning fag end nor do I want it blowing onto my windscreen.

A mate of mine who's a smoker chooses to smoke outside his own house, he does this as he doesnt want his 3 yr old son breathing in his cigarette smoke when he comes to stay over. Likewise, I've never asked my smoking friends to smoke outside my house but when they come and visit they do so anyway as theyre respectful of the fact I dont smoke, and its also to do with the fact I'm not what they call a whinging non smoker therefore they don't think "oh god another non smoker going on again" I as much as smokers find such rants counter productive it makes people switch off and not wanna listen.

Of course theres proven links to smoking and cancer, heart disease etc.......but somethings gonna get ya eventually, IMO take what pleasures you can get in life, if smokings one then so be it

Well smoking isn't just bad for those who do it, is it; once again, that old friend research, has shown that one of the most important variables as to whether a child will smoke or not, is whether his/ her parents do. So if you smoke, whether you do it in the car or not, you are shortening the odds of whether your children do. That for me, is quite a convincing argument as to why I as a parent shouldn't smoke - I would hate my DC's to.

As for the root of all evil thing, well, this is a thread about smoking so we're focussing on it. I'm sure we'll be just as energetic in our condemnation of drinking/ fruit shoots/ whatever the latest evil is...

But yeah, insulting strangers in the street is rarely a Good Thing.

slightly bad??
Hahahaha

And the way we have set things up you probably NEED a car and have little choice.

I just get fed up that over the years one thing at a time gets made into the root of all evil. Smoking is bad for smokers and probably is slightly bad in confined spaces over long periods for non smokers. So are a lot of things though and I could pick on alcohol and call that the root of all evil or a lot of other things.

I just wish people wouldn't get focused on one thing like it was the only danger and I'm not happy about those who insult strangers over it.

onagar...I do drive a car and presume that you will then say that pollution is adding to poor childhood health, and also potential danger of death/injury etc.

And you have a point!

Noonki, Wigglesworth mentioned that we were probably uneducated hence the comment.

And the obsessive do not really contribute to childrens safety as they tend to pick one cause of illness and pursue that at the expense of all else.

Do you drive a car btw?

nothing to do with education Ongar, all to do with caring about your children's health.

I smoke in my car with both windows open when i am on my own. When DD is in the car I do not smoke. I smoke in the garden not in the house and when DD comes into the garden i stand away from her.
However i did smoke when i was pregnant and i realy hate myself for it now, i wish i hadnt there is no excuse i knew the harm it could do but i still did it. I was very young and DD was unplanned but realy not much of an excuse, but there is nothing wrong with my DD she is perfectly healty, has never had a chest infection or ear infection, shes had a cough twice, she never gets colds and the only illness shes had is chicken pox. I have a friend who has never smoked and her children have asthma and infections all the time. This is not an excuse for doing it and i would never smoke whilst pregnant again i know it could have easily been my DD that was always poorly and i would never have forgiven myself if it was but sometimes it is just plain bad luck.

Smokers know that it is bad for them, they know it smells awful, they know it could kill them, but i would have to say as a smoker i pretend i dont know these things and stick my head in the sand. when i do think about them like now i feel bad and i dont want to feel bad who does. I know the solution is to give up but it is very hard.
Personally i wish they would make it illegal and then i would have to give up no choice.

But OP YANBU it is crap, i wouldnt say they were scum though. I have a friend who smokes she doesnt smoke in her car, she smoked when she was pg though and smokes at the back door so the smoke goes in her house where her babies are so i think shes just as bad.

^excema

Erm, smoking CAN cause asthma, cot death, exma (as its related to asthma) and ear infection.
I doubt that by being sulky about it, you will make the facts any different.