Smoker outside school

[Polkadotbabushka]

On my drive to work in the morning I pass a secondary school and every morning without fail there is a member of staff (wearing a lanyard) leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette in full view of all children entering the school. Now it isn’t illegal and she’s leaning on the school wall not on the grounds but to me it just seems wrong. Would it bother you?

YABU. It's a free country and she's entitled to do what she likes as long as she's not breaking the law or any school rules.

She's not doing it on school grounds.

See this a lot and doesn’t bother me one bit.
Our secondary school bus drivers park the buses in school grounds about 20 minutes before kids come out and then come out the gates to have a cigarette. I always think to myself bet they need that before picking up 80 kids 😂

Where exactly would you like her to smoke? Likely she's at a 'designated smoking point' anyway!

It doesn’t exactly look great or set a good example does it?

Our policy is not smoking in school or within sight of students during the day so it wouldn’t be allowed. Assume local school is different or it wouldn’t be happening.

I guess it may be a designated area and legally anyone could smoke there but it’s next to the front gate with all the children walking past. It just looks bad! IMO!

It's not illegal. She's not doing anything wrong.

I'm surprised it's allowed - most schools here have a policy about smoking on or near the grounds.

That said I wouldn't complain about it - adults are free to smoke if that's what they want to do.

I am a smoker myself but I would not be happy about a member of staff smoking outside the school in front of children. It sets a bad example and is really unprofessional.

You’re not wrong. Looks terrible. YANBU

It’s legal. It’s outside. 🤷‍♀️

I wouldn't complain but I do believe it's unprofessional and sets a really bad example.

I don't think secondary students are looking to their teachers for what's cool tbh.

I think it looks terrible. Then again I think anyone who smokes in public looks terrible. It’s never a good look.
I have my personal reasons for hating smoking. Don’t think there is much you can do about it though.

So 🤷

Secondary school kids will have seen people smoke, maybe even.... Loving family members puffing on a cigarette 😱.

I miss the 90's 😭

I do, too. Regularly.

I'm an ex smoker but I would definitely start again if I had to deal with a classroom full of teenagers every day!

As others have said, it's not illegal and I doubt the kids pay the blindest bit of attention.

Illegal where I live. Smokers need to be 5 metres from the school boundary. Not far enough IMO when it’s 10 metres for outdoor playgrounds and under 18s sport.

https://www.qld.gov.au/health/staying-healthy/smoking/laws

I couldn't get worked up about this, but maybe that's because in the 80s and 90s my teachers were smoking in their offices and staff room.

I don't think seeing an adult smoking will warp their minds.

Our art teacher used to ask us if anyone had a light 😁

This was the policy at a couple of schools I worked at for a while. I think it’s a sensible policy.

Lol many secondary schools it's the kids light up as soon as they are out the gate. When I was at school it was in the toilets .

Tbh I feel more surprised at seeing the huge crowd of healthcare workers congregate outside the rear hospital gate puffing away

This infuriates me too trust me!! Standing by the no smoking sign!