Parents smoking weed at a children's party

[CandODad]

So, I hire out a piece of party equipment to children's parties and since it's worth a considerable amount of money intend not to leave the place it's beong used at. I don't need to be with it so I tend to just sit in the van where I know I can see should it "need moving"

The window is open slightly so the van doesn't steam up. Am I the only one shocked by the fact there are at least eight parents at this party that seem to openly smoking weed out in the car park while a seven year olds birthday party goes on inside (one parent of which is the dad of the party child) and children are popping out now and again to talk to parents etc?

[CandODad]

Intend = I tend

[adiposegirl]

YANBU!!!!!!!

Shame on those parents

[blackheartsgirl]

Yanbu!!!

[Alisvolatpropiis]

Yanbu to say it is out of order.

I'm no longer surprised at how many parents smoke cannabis around their children though.

[theposterformallyknownas]

It is quite normal tbh and has been for many years.
I was a children's entertainer many years ago and could tell you things that would make your hair curl.
At least they are on the car park and weren't harming anybody else. I also doubt if they had dc to look after they would be getting shit faced.

[AllMimsyWereTheBorogoves]

This is a genuine question as I don't know the answer. Is it against the law to drive while under the influence of cannabis? How many of those parents are going to be driving their children (and possibly other people's children) home after the party? How risky is this?

OK, several questions.

[Linskibinski]

allmimsy yes! sec 4 road traffic act. It's potentially disastrous exactly like drink driving.

[HamishBamish]

YANBU, it's totally inappropriate. If this was happening at a party my child was attending I'd remove him immediately and tell the party child's parents why. It shouldn't be hard for parents to control themselves for a couple of hours for the sake of a child's party. I have to say I'm not in favour of alcohol at children's parties either, although I know some people would disagree. It's 2hrs at the most fgs!

[FreeWee]

Absolutely not acceptable & if I had had a child at that party we would have left sharpish. Drug driving is as dangerous as drink driving too. Drug use is generally selfish but controlling themselves at a child's party for 2 hours shouldn't be that much of a chore! Hope your equipment was OK.

[Jolleigh]

I think cannabis is fairly mainstream nowadays, similar to cigarettes. I don't smoke it myself (can't stand the taste) but I live in an area where the situation you've described is very fairly commonplace. At least it's outside...I'd be horrified if they were smoking anything at all around the children.

[BertieBotts]

Horrid, I think quite common though :( I had no idea until one day when I went to a playdate and the parents lit up in the garden. I was really shocked and felt really uncomfortable.

[Monathevampire1]

Its really difficult. You make the free adult choice not to leave your equipment but you stay in the car park or other quiet place. I don't agree with what these adults/parents are doing but they are not smoking drugs around your equipment and the supervision of the children isn't your responsibility.

You have some tough choices, at the time you would be well within your rights to report these people to the police but you may never get another hiring. If the children are being supervised by responsible adults I might just keep out of it.

[usualsuspect333]

Sounds like my kind of party

[ThereMustAndShallBeTea]

If they weren't driving, is it any different to someone having a beer at a kids' party?

[Jolleigh]

theremust does have a good point. It being illegal doesn't make it any worse than having a beer. In fact, I know many people who are in a better state after a joint than they are after a drink.

[fluffymouse]

Unacceptable.

Little shitbags around here don't understand why children's playgrounds a are not appropriate for smoking weed.

[FreeWee]

Smoking illegal substances around kids at a kids party? Yes worse than having a beer. Poor role midemodelling and normalising illegal behaviour. So it's common behaviour in some areas. Doesn't make it OK. There's a village in the north of my area known for child abuse within the community. Everyone does it. Doesn't make it OK.

[FreeWee]

^role modelling.

[Jolleigh]

So everything illegal is wrong but it's alright if it's legal? I don't even smoke the stuff but I don't agree with that.

[JaneFonda]

Genuine question to the posters who are very against it - what actually is the problem you have with people smoking weed?

I don't think smoking in general is nice around children, but if they were outside - why is it different to them having a couple of beers?

Just because the law says something is illegal it doesn't make it wrong.

[Alisvolatpropiis]

It completely does make it wrong Jane.

In the same way doing all the other illegal things is wrong.

[Jolleigh]

Taking legality out of your vocabulary, what exactly makes smoking a joint somewhere that passive smoking won't be an issue worse than having a beer?

[Alisvolatpropiis]

I don't think it is worse to smoke a joint, particularly. I don't think much of people who get pissed at kids parties either.

Pissed/stoned, it just isn't very appropriate.

[JaneFonda]

I don't think you can be so black and white about it, Alis - eg. homosexuality used to be illegal, but it's clearly not wrong to be gay.

[titchy]

I think you find that is the actual definition of wrong Jane! If cannabis was legalised tomorrow it wouldn't be wrong. Until that happens it IS wrong. Simple really.