Why is it illegal for tobacco products to be sold to under 18s, yet parents can smoke over children while in a buggy, in the car/house, etc?

[sickofthisshite]

Could anyone help shed some light on this, please?

Well how could it be policed if it was banned?

So you are questioning why it it's illegal to sell to a 12 year old

No, I'm in agreement. Tobacco should not be sold to minors.

It would be impossible to police if smoking over children was banned.

So, if tobacco is that bad for you... Why not just make it illegal? I guess the powers that be are making too much wonga from the huge taxes that are imposed on the sale if tobacco. Hypocrisy at it's finest.

Alcohol, coffee, fried foods are all bad for you too.

Just sayin'

How can you make buying tobacco illegal, considering how many people are addicted to what has always been a legal pass time?

That's like suddenly making alcohol or junk food illegal because people are becoming alcoholics/fat.

Passive smoking can be dangerous but so can traffic fumes.

But obviously it's a fraction of the danger of inhaling tobacco directly into your lungs, or sucking on an exhaust pipe.

I would have thought this was clearly obvious to most people, no?

No, it's not clear, no?

Why all the health warnings, a ban on the sale of tobacco to under 18s, but no lobbying for an greater awareness on the dangers of passive smoking. Especially those parents who smoke over newborns and young children.

Or is no one bothered in making Britain healthier?

Shouldn't you be revising for gcses or something?

Worra explained it perfectly.

It's illegal to sell alcohol to children, but adults are perfectly at liberty to enjoy a glass of wine while their children are in the vicinity. Does this answer your question?

Not really sure what your question is to be honest

I've often thought a simple way to phase out smoking would be to say no one born after 2000 (say) can purchase tobacco. Phrasing the law in terms of a date of birth rather than an age would mean the smoking age would keep going up and smoking would fade out without denying something previously allowed to current smokers.

It won't happen though - smokers pay a fortune in additional tax and take less out of the healthcare and pensions system (early treatments for smoking illness cost less than the geriatric care that would have to be provided if they hasn't smoked).

I'm not sure what the AIBU is here

Some people smoke around their children, some let them eat shit, some are horrible to their partners in front of them... All of these things are harmful. At some point you have to accept that when people are adults they get to make their own decisions and that includes parenting decisions you wouldn't make.

There is no that any form of prohibition would work with tobacco.

There is a child at dd's school that REEKS of smoke. Everything she owns smells of it. If she is standing within about 10ft of you, you can smell it. She also has an inhaler, because she is wheezy. Her parents smoke with her in the car with the windows shut. (I have seen this.) Honestly, with all the health info out there it beggars belief.

there are campaigns to increase the awareness of the effects of 2nd hand smoke on children.

Terry put it perfectly.

There are many unhealthy decisions parents can make on behalf of their child. This is just one of them.

Thenight is there any need to be so rude?

Smoking over children is deplorable. An adult can do what they want within reason, yes. But there are limits as to what is, or wrt today's 'progressive' society, should be acceptable.

Fishstix

Be the change you want to see, sicko!

The campaign starts with you.

But drinking round children doesn't make them have some by being in the vicinity jock. Smoking does.

It won't happen though - smokers pay a fortune in additional tax and take less out of the healthcare and pensions system (early treatments for smoking illness cost less than the geriatric care that would have to be provided if they hasn't smoked).

And there's already a massive black market it tobacco products. All an outright ban would do is feed into the hands of organised crime.

"No lobbying re the dangers of passive smoking"

OP, did you miss the introduction of the smoking ban? It was a fine example of raising awareness of passive smoking, and within the last 10 years too, so not too distant a memory.

What terry says.
Christ knows why anyone with an ounce of common sense smokes, this is 2014, the health risks have been known for decades

But you will always get some people who smoke, drink excessively, eat shit food, are abusive to their partner... And tbh if they do those things, they will probably continue to do them when they become parents. For children to be exposed to these things is harmful, yes. But you cannot police every movement of parents. You can educate and inform- but ultimately there are some pretty stupid or uncaring parents around

There is plenty of information out there about the dangers of passive smoking. You'd have to have grown up in a cave not to know about it.

The reason it isn't illegal is because smoking isn't illegal. You can't sell something legally and take millions of pounds of tax of people and then tell them they can't use it.

There is already a ban on smoking in public places which is great

There is a ton of info out there, unfortunately there are a few people out there who will do what they want regardless. Some people take drugs around children and drugs are illegal, doesn't stop them doing it. Some people drink whilst pregnant even know they are fully aware of the dangers too, its the way of the world sadly.

I think that if they are going to ban cigarettes or smoking around children they should do the same for alcohol. Both are perfectly legal but yet can cause great damage. Why target just smoking?

So, if tobacco is that bad for you... Why not just make it illegal? I guess the powers that be are making too much wonga from the huge taxes that are imposed on the sale if tobacco. Hypocrisy at it's finest.

You've answered your own question and yy to the hypocrisy!

Like it or not, there is a hard core of smokers, the majority of whom became addicted when they were children themselves, who simply cannot stop, no matter how much they are 'educated', harrangued or shamed.

One thing you can do if you care about this issue is to support vaping (e cigarettes) which is currently under threat from the EU. For the most addicted smokers, vaping can be their best hope of becoming smoke free.

If you are wary of signing because you are cautious about the safety of vaping, you might want to read The Royal College of Physicians' recent guidance.

The restrictions on smoking have steadily increased in recent years and more are on the way. It is now generally recognised to be disgusting and dangerous.
I think it's far better to let this process continue to its natural conclusion than attempt some dramatic gesture that is doomed to failure.

Yes. I can't of a single smoker who if smoking was made illegal would think 'oh I'll stop then' they'd just buy black market fags with god knows what in them and the tax revenue would be lost. I wish people would rhink of the logical consequences of statements like 'ban the sale of cigarettes. '

It's legal for any age to smoke, it's just illegal for shops to sell them. Does nobody know that? & I smoked since 14. Mum smoked around us, grandparents smoked, dad smoked, uncle smoked.we all smoke.