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Smoking cigs indoors with kids around

6 replies

PudULike · 18/09/2025 12:35

I just wondered if anybody still does this or if the needle of social acceptability has moved so far away from it that everyone will at least now stand on the doorstep to smoke? When I was a child in the 70s, it was absolutely standard for people who smoked to do so in all the rooms of their house (and in their cars - and on hospital wards! And upstairs on the bus!) and nobody considered the lungs of any children who happened to be about. I remember making an ashtray for my parents as a primary school craft project. It seems like the past 20 years, and in the wake of consecutive smoking bans, have seen the acceptability of indoor smoking fall off a cliff. Say there was a mum now who lived with 2 little kids and smoked around them in the family living room and kitchen - would that be so unacceptable as to raise child welfare concerns? Or is it just frowned upon but seen as a personal choice? Do you know anyone who still smokes indoors with children in the home?

OP posts:
Choconuts · 18/09/2025 12:59

I’m pretty sure social services are too busy to worry about people smoking cigarettes around children.

DiscoBob · 18/09/2025 13:02

I doubt it would be reason to involve SS. Unless the kid had really bad asthma or other illnesses that made them especially vulnerable.

It was very common in the 80s and even 90s for smokers to do so indoors in front of kids. Even babies.

All the people I know now who smoke now don't have children living with them.

I smoke and if kids visited I would go into another floor of the house or outside to smoke.

notatinydancer · 18/09/2025 13:08

Yes I know a couple of families who do this sadly.

PudULike · 18/09/2025 17:25

Thanks for your thoughts. What inspired it is a woman I know, early 30s (so has grown up with all the public health info about passive smoking) who used to smoke in her garden but now seemingly can't be bothered to take it outside so puffs away indoors in a very small 2 bed house. She's severely asthmatic (!) but I don't think her kids are. Can't be doing them a jot of good though.

OP posts:
Mymanyellow · 18/09/2025 17:27

I know of a couple that vape indoors.

WorkCleanRepeat · 18/09/2025 17:30

I wouldn't do it but also wouldn't report it social services unless I had other concerns.

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