To judge this woman?

[moralberyll]

Leaving the local maternity unit today and a heavily pregnant woman who is obviously a patient as she was wearing a dressing gown, slippers and pyjamas was standing right near the doorway smoking a cigarette, there is a big sign up saying 'no smoking on campus'. Aibu to judge her that she is not only putting her own baby at risk but she wants to put other people's baby's at risk from secondhand smoke as well? I would definitely have said something if i were leaving the unit with my newborn baby!

Yes, it's called empathy. Admittedly, it takes a fair degree of emotional maturity which you don't seem to show

Empathy? For something that harms yourself and others and which is a conscious choice? Not sure feeling smoking should be banned in all public places makes me emotionally immature. I suspect I am being criticised for lacking empathy when the correct term is lacking sympathy.

I suspect I am being criticised for lacking empathy when the correct term is lacking sympathy

Yes , Crumbs that was my thoughts too.

Such a sententious , yet actually meaningless , comment

Funny how smokers always demand respect for their choices. The bloke who blew a cloud of smoke which hit me in the face and triggered a coughing fit so extreme I threw up all over myself and had to sit gasping for breath whilst trying to take my emergency inhaler wasn't showing much care and consideration for me, I fail to see why I (or any non smoker) should respect the bodily autonomy of a smoker when, as soon as they smoke in public, are taking away the right of everyone around them to choose what they don't want to breathe into their own lungs.

Bodily autonomy is about the right to do what you want with your own body. The effect that might have on other people doesn't really come into it- and thank goodness really otherwise there wouldn't be any autonomy.

You're just referring to good manners

Yes thank you for that iheart. I choose not to breathe smoke into my own body as it makes me ill. If someone blows it into my face then they are taking that choice away are they not?

Funny how smokers always demand respect for their choices

The smoking lady wasn't demanding anything! OP was stating the injustice of having to walk past a smoker with her baby!!

Who's demanding?

No Because having choice is about what you can do, not what you can't.
It would be nice to control other people's lives at times but overall, aren't you glad someone doesn't control your life?

Greentulips see rest of thread, full of smokers wwanting their choice to smoke be respected.

Iheart choice is about what you can do, not what you can't? That is nonsense. Vegetarians choose not to eat meat. A woman may choose not to have a baby. And I choose not to smoke or breathe it in, and if I am forced to, then yes, someone else is controlling what I put into my body.

Vegetarians choose not to eat meat. They don't get the choice to stop the general public walking down the road eating a burger in front of them

Yanbu.

I think breathing in a bit of passing fag isn't going to kill anyone. So I have no idea what your argument can possibly be flying? Smokers can no longer do that in confined public places.

This thread is ridiculous and quite scary that some women would condone a pregnant woman's body being controlled by anyone other than herself.. I don't drive and choose not to, I still have the fumes forced upon me right? Because according to some of you that is what's happening when a smoker smokes and you have to walk through it, I mean I can't control others driving so surely you can't control those that smoke.

Disclaimer; I didn't smoke with either of my pregnancies and only in the last two years have I started to smoke occasionally. I stopped when I was pregnant with my first and only started again when my second was fighting for her life. Now I'm struggling to fully stop due to depression and anxiety, I'm a shit mother though aren't I?

And so yes our choice should be respected! Many a worse thing happen on a regular basis, so really all you who get totally aggrieved by a smoker need to simmer down.

It seems to have turned into a puritan eating thread now. Haven't articles been published recently where a rather high percentage of little ones are being presented with malnutrition?

It seems to have turned into a puritan eating thread now

Eh... what?!

Haven't you just read the last few threads Ecureuil? A few have gone all veggie.

Haven't you just read the last few threads Ecureuil? A few have gone all veggie.

Can you expand? What are you taking about?

I have no idea what you mean silverbell64!

Vegetarians choose not to eat meat. They don't get the choice to stop the general public walking down the road eating a burger in front of them

I saw this... surely it's just an analogy rather than a discussion about puritanical eating?

Goodness me, calm down folks. Being a veggie etc. "has" been mentioned and I was just saying that recently studies have been found where off-spring of veggies and vegans lack certain vitamins etc. and this is causing damage to said off-spring.

Anyway, back to the subject. If someone choses to smoke then yes, that is their prerogative. We aren't the "unclean" and shouldn't be treated as so.

My post was only in response to flying's

I saw this... surely it's just an analogy rather than a discussion about puritanical eating?

Yes it is analogy. And from the context of the quote it is supporting smokers.

Oh dear god. Why did I bring up vegetarians on mumsnet? I should know better. Point was, choice can be a choice NOT to do something- for example, a vegetarian can choose not to eat meat, and if a meat eater were to force some down their throat, this would be wrong.

And silverbell see post above. Passing fag caused me to have a coughing fit which made me vomit and led to an asthma attack. So tell yourself that your smoking doesn't harm anyone all you like, but it would harm me. And there are people with far worse asthma than me, and other conditions like CF that would be affected too. If you want to smoke in your own home, crack on. Your life, your body. The minute you inflict it on others is the minute I lose any respect for your 'rights' as you have shown no respect for others.

Smoking does not harm 99.9% of the population whatsover in an outdoor space. You may however have some sort of super allergy. If so, how do you cope with pollution?