To ask this dad to stop smoking...

[Elfina]

He was pushing his child in the baby swings, within a little play park with a cigarette in his mouth. I didnt ask him to stop smoking, as I guess I'm technically not within my rights to, but I am regretting it a bit.

Should I have said something??

Yabu - diesel fumes do more harm than cigarettes.

I too think it's pretty grim to smoke around kids even if it is outside but I wouldn't say anything about it.

I hope you don't live in the South East OP

Given the high alert level air pollution warnings

No you wouldn't have BU but of course he's a smoker and no matter what you'd have said, you probably would have had to move away anyway because he probably would have told you to butt out (no pun intended), it's a free world, and as others have said above "it's in the open air" ('cause you know, that means it would NEVER enter your lungs, or your child's, or endanger either of your health in any way).

You see, if YOU'RE bothered by it (you know, the fact second hand smoke can result in lung cancer) then it's up to you to move away and suspend your enjoyment of a location, because, a smokers needs are paramount and "it's a free country".

If you can't tell, smokers piss me off. I'm "sensitive" to cigarette smoke. Triggers some not so pleasant health issues. It doesn't matter that MY health is damaged, I cannot impede on their freedom of choice. So it's up to ME to move away. To cover my face. To cross the street. To hide away to avoid the breeze blowing it in my direction. God forbid this PROVEN deadly item be removed from public and restricted only to the privacy of your own home where you're killing no-one but yourself (hopefully just you and there aren't kids/animals etc).

So I suppose my answer is, yes you would have BU to say something and expect him to listen to you. You would have BU to put yourself at risk like that (some people are NUTS). So it's best you just walk away (I personally enjoy the "shirt over nose" walk-away so they're aware they stink).

I feel sorry for the child, she must have to inhale a lot of smoke, just because it's outside does not mean that people in proximity do not have to breathe it in, smokers seem to not understand that though.......

(I personally enjoy the "shirt over nose" walk-away so they're aware they stink).

I bet they enjoy it more so you're aware of how stupid you look

I have never seen anyone smoking in a playground. I wouldn't have said anything but I wouldn't have liked it. Horrible.

You just have to move away unfortunately. No point starting a debate with the type who can't even stop smoking while pushing their child on a swing.

No different to parents sm

No different to parents smoking outside school gates, I don't do it as too many secretly judgy people like me with judgy pants on, so I wait til I get home and smoke out back.

I hate to see people smoking around their small children but I don't say anything because if they don't care about their child's health they're not going to care about mine!

Dh used to smoke in play areas until i explained that it is horrible , he could wander a few metres away and have a fag if he really needed one .

I've been in your position OP and shock,horror I did ask the woman not to smoke. And you know what I'd do it again! It comes to something when people are so addicted that they can't spend half an hour with their child/ren in the park without needing to light up! I have a question for the posters comparing the effects of secondary cigarette smoke to diesel fumes etc...aren't the carcinogenics in secondary cigarette smoke a lot worse?

people that smoke around children are twats and deserve to feel judged imo! And he would probably chuck the stub on the floor littering the playground for toddlers to pick up - prick

our play area is now non smoking so I would definitely tell the idiot to stop smoking in that area.

and just because it happened in the 70's doesn't make it right - my dad's teacher used to smoke in class and drink and fall asleep - it still wouldn't be right now would it!

What worra said.

If you walk away covering your face you will look like a twat.

Do keep doing it

I wouldn't have said anything but its pretty sad that some people care so little about their own and their children's health. Aside from the 'secondary smoking' issue (and I believe there isn't a clear consensus about how harmful that actually is) there definitely IS a clear correlation between parents who smoke and their own children taking up smoking. And as I've yet to meet anyone who would be happy for their children to become smokers, to me that's a good enough reason to not smoke.

It's also pretty sad when you see overweight unhealthy parents eating crap and even feeding it to their kids..or parents who drink excessively.... . It's no different IMO, it's a total lack of care about your own physical health.

However, although I think it's pretty unenLIGHTened (see what I did there?!) in 2014 to be a smoker (or to eat badly or drink too much) I can't get too worked up about what other people do. If they don't give a shit about their own or their children's wellbeing, I'm not going to lose sleep over it.

Just step away OP