Neighbours young children smoking

[autumn5678]

I posted last year about new neighbours that moved in and trouble we were having- rubbish, cigarette butts being chucked over their fence onto pavement, anti social behaviour from their kids.

This was in summer and since then it's died down slightly although young kids will still be playing out until late at night, but I'm prepared for it to start up again during summer.

A month or so ago I saw the mum walking with one of her kids, roughly 14 or 15 I would say, and she lit a cigarette for him. Completely shocked and disgusted but didn't know what to do so left it.

Last night I was on the phone and leaning against the front window when one of the children, young, around 12 or 13, went past on a scooter puffing on a cigarette.

What do we do? Who can we report this to? I'm so nervous about them finding out, they're not the sort of family you want to get on the wrong side of and I know their kids would make our life hell

Just ignore it.
They're not injecting heroin.

It's not long ago that primary school kids could by cigarettes singly from local shops.
On second thoughts 35 years is quite a long time.

ignore. its none of your business.

Ignore. Our very sensible neighbours totally stunned me a couple of years ago by saying that they were allowing their 14yo to smoke and buying fags for him.

If you know which school they go to you could pass on the info to the school nurse.

Ignore it. It's not unusual and if the parents allow them to smoke you'll be storing up trouble for yourself.

Selks the school will undoubtedly be full of smoking pupils.

It's really not as unusual as you think.

I would call SS or the school, not because its the worst thing ever but because it may add to information they already have.

Ignore it. You will only cause more trouble if you start reporting stuff.

You could report it to one of those community police teams re: antisocial behaviour.
Also, you could inform the school and social services about the smoking. Facilitating smoking on children is harmful. It doesnt matter that it's not "injecting heroin" what a terribly low bar to set for a child's health.

You can make any referral anonymously. The wll being of children is everyone's business. Surely.

True, Ilovesooty. I suppose I was just responding to the OP saying it is being done with parent's complicity.

I don't agree with 'informing social services'...they have FAR more challenging things to be dealing with!
Informing the school nurse is a good compromise, as the school nurse may well be aware if there is already social services involvement and pass on the smoking concerns as well, or if not then the school nurse can speak to the child or parents and offer input about the smoking.

Well best do nothing then eh.
Keep out of it. Not your problem.
Dont want to ruffle anyone's feathers.
What goes on behind closed doors should be kept within the familyReally?

I'd be horrified as well, but it's difficult to know what you can do. Unfortunately, these parents are highly irresponsible clowns but probably aren't bad enough to warrant intervention.

There's a hundred thousand situations I'd tell a concerned neighbour to contact ss.

This isn't one of them.

They aren't illegal. Yes it's shitty, all smoking is (smoker) but whilst the government make money, lots of money, of them and throw a little of that money back into reminding us how awful the perfectly legal, state endorsed habit you have is, is it any wonder the lines are blurred?

when you said young children, i didnt think you meant teenagers.

these parents are encouraging drug talking, as well as bringing up their children to be dirty, selfish, threatening and entitled.

I really feel for you having to live next to these people, as well for the children who are going to be the people that everyone hates. There isn't much to be done about the smoking but I agree it would be worth passing on to social services anonymously. It may be useful evidence when things get worse for these kids.

I was 13 when I started.

I don't know who you cold report it too.. what would you expect to happen if there was?

Christ alive. Yep that's exactly the right thing to do. Call children's services perhaps they will send the SAS to resolve the matter

I was 12 when I started but not in front of my parents

My best friend was 14 and used to smoke in front of hers

Nothing you can do about it, since they're not breaking the law

I'd report it if they were primary school aged children but not secondary.

It's not nice but I would not do anything. Not worth the potential backlash if they found out you'd reported them to someone. Unlikely to stop unless the child/teenager makes a conscious decision to do so.

Reporting to the school will solve nothing. My friend smoked from 13 and her mum would have fags ready in the car when she came to collect her. It sounds terrible but I think it's pointless to report