smoking in a kids playground/area?

[carocaro]

Three times over the Easter holidays in three different places, all women.

Why?

We can smell it eg: breathe it in. It makes no difference that you are outside.

I told one woman off as he flicked fag ash landed on my sons coat.

From now on I am going to take out cubed smelly blue cheese and throw it chunk by chunk at a smoker in a playground, they are infecting my atmosphere so I will infect theirs.

To those of you who are so obsessed with smokers' rights: it's also perfectly legal to have a fag whilst cradling a newborn in an enclosed space. That doesn't make it right - or do you disagree?

In my book, smoking close to anyone who does not give their consent is assault as it causes physical harm (even the most ignorant can't deny that). If you want to smoke, just do it somewhere where it can't harm others.

Its funny that smokers forget that that it was their lack of respect for others rights that put them in their current position.

Konstanza - do you really feel it's assault?

Gosh!

I've smoked - I've stopped and then started -I sometimes smoke at the park but outside the playground (as long as I can see my kids in it).

I'd love to give up again but am finding it hard - I'm not a chav - I'm not a weak person in most areas, in fact, I'm not anything that anyone on this thread isn't.

Yep and I'm happy with the smoking ban in pubs, restaurants and public places.

you couldn't make some of this stuff up

"smoking close to anyone who does not give their consent is assault as it causes physical harm (even the most ignorant can't deny that)."

What you are saying why don't we all completely ignore the fact that lung disease caused by smoking indirectly is dose related. In a children's playground there are factors that will dilute the effect: proximity to the smoker; and also some of the fumes will actually go into the air - the effect it will have on anyone is significantly diluted by the latter. Lastly, the most significant factor in the development of lung disease is dose over time. If your child is not subjected to cigarrette smoke at home or by relatives then the likelihood of them developing lung cancer from one person having a fag 20 yards from you in a playground, is going to be quite remote .

The only way I might actually have any sympathy for this opinion is the example it sets to children.

In summary, generally I think YABU. Seeing as no-one thinks human rights are valid I won't bother argue about them as clearly you would be happy to live in a police state.

"Seeing as no-one thinks human rights are valid" - AliGrylls, you are saying the fact that I put my/all children's right to NOT breathe in cigarette smoke shows "clearly" I "would be happy to live in a police state". Twisted logic!

I meant to say:
"Seeing as no-one thinks human rights are valid" - AliGrylls, you are saying the fact that I put my/all children's right to NOT breathe in cigarette smoke above smokers' rights shows "clearly" I "would be happy to live in a police state". Twisted logic!

I'd think it was normal to be at least well away from play equipment with fags, which could be a potential accident. I'm tolerant and I used to smoke myself but if someone was smoking right over or next to my child on play equipment I'd ask them politely to move away. I can ignore someone leaning on the side fence or trying to be away from the kids though. It's those who are very nearly in other's personal space with their fags who I think are unreasonable. I would on the other hand be quite happy to ban fags inside playgrounds, it wouldn't hurt to stand with it the other side of the fence frankly.

I think perhaps that Ali was responding to the tone of this - she doesn't say she condones smoking and particularly the example set for kids.

In terms of the setting and example - can I assume that you good people never drink alcohol in front of the kids. The UK has a terrible youth drinking culture. They must pick it up from their parents, no?

"can I assume that you good people never drink alcohol in front of the kids. The UK has a terrible youth drinking culture. They must pick it up from their parents, no?"

That must be why French children/teenagers have such bad drinking habits.

I was the worst most addicted smoker for 25+ bloody years but I never had to have a cigarette in the chuffing playground! Or even in the park. Or infact ever when close to my dc. Jeezus.

Seems to be a confusion between legality and morality/common decency here.

I really don't like people smoking around my children. I hate the way that the 'al fresco' section of a restaurant is now a smoking shed. I would be fucking livid if someone smoked in our (small) local playground.

And as for my bias ... I smoked for 15 years. Didn't really think of the impact of my smoking upon children - or anyone else - until I became pregnant. Smoking suddenly seemed a really, really stupid thing to do.

Following on from strawberrykate's post - isn't there some kind of law brewing to extend the smoking restrictions? I have seen this somewhere ...

play areas are terrible, i dont use them no more, after seeing people late at night pissing down the slide after having a drink and smoke session, they then like to leave their smashed bottles everywhere, this after their dogs have shit and peed all over to. rant over lol. look if you smoke,spit, or wanna pick your nose in a park just walk away a bit so you dont annoy others. dog owners have the same respect keep your damn dogs out of parks. i do know smoking is a danger to others. but a few of you say your teaching kids bad habits, everyone teaches their kids bad habits at some point, like if your child has seen you have a drop of alcohol, its a bad habit, and we cant shield them from everything no matter how much we want to.

We were at the Zoo at the weekend. It was heaving but that didn't stop the smokers wandering around with their lit cigarettes held down at child head height.

We were just finishing our lunch at a picnic table when a family of 5 adults (and 2 small children) wandered up, stood right next to the table and all 5 adults lit up. Clearly they weren't bothered about the effects on their own kids so they weren't interested in our 3 year old they'd surrounded.

It was this total lack of consideration for other people that led to the smoking ban and will ultimately lead to a total ban on smoking in public.

I think it was the impact on people who work hospitality industry that led to the ban.

But to ban it in open air places? If someone was smoking and holding their hand down so it was right near my child's face I'd just tell them and I'm pretty sure they'd be responsive to it.

Did you tell this group of people that their collective smoking was in affecting your child?

Giveitago, from what I recall it was for exactly this reason (and also that of other customers) that led to the ban because there were many that inhaled the equivalent of 40 fags a night. I agree with the ban on this basis - that was clearly an infringement of liberties on people who worked in pubs because it was an enclosed space.

Pixie, you have a valid point and I do have to concede that in your case you would be completely justified for telling a person to move if they were close to you.

What would annoy me, if I were a smoker, would be if someone asked me to move when I was trying to be discreet and not smoke near anyone, just because they didn't like it.

In reply to the person that said my logic is twisted: Are you really saying that OP would be right for throwing cheese at an adult for smoking?

Or equally, humiliating them in public by asking them to stop and creating an argument where really there is not a justified argument to be had (particularly if the smoker is making an effort to not smoke in your face)?

At some point the government has to do a bit of balancing the rights of individuals -v- the good of the general population and personally, I think the balance at the moment is fair.

Yes, a similar thread v recently.

WHEN will smokers learn that by being a smoker, they are playing into the hands of the powerful by keeping entirely the world order.

The rich (non-smoking) elite (who run the tobacco companies) WANT smoking to remain part of working-class culture. The poor keep on paying, keep on smokin', keep on dying young (less pensions to pay out).

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

And the smokers keep thinking they have a choice.

Why else would the tobacco companies be looking for new markets in the developing world?

gosh smokers seem to be held in the same regard as predatory paedos on MN!

Its very annoying, bit given its in the open, fresh air can people take a chill pill?

remember smokers pay alot of tax and they help with the @old people not dying till they are 105 @ issue

Well I'll tell you something that is not illegal but is far more harmful to dcs and that is

Women in sunglasses driving and traffic lights - they don't seem to be able to see the change in colour and so just go straight through. We've had more than a few near misses.

And the worst which does have an almost daily impact on my ds is the school run mums. I live v. near a school and so have had to get used to women reeking of booze saying goodbye to their kids and then getting in their CARS. They clearly aren't bothered about the affect on their own kids so they are not going to worry about the danger to anyone else are they. It's the same at 3.20. OK, you could say they had too many the night before - are they so stupid to think that they are OK to drive the next morning? Why would you stink of booze picking up your children? Worse still when they're wearing their sunglasses.

There was a woman smoking while sitting on one of those rocking toys on a spring at our park today, chatting to a group of other parents. The park was packed, and I thought it was pretty stupid of her to be sitting on the toy in the first place, never mind puffing away beside the sand pit full of children. My dd really wanted to go on it, so I asked the woman to move. She got up, continued to smoke right beside us, I mean RIGHT beside us, and the two women she was talking to lit up as well. I had to ask them to move and I'm sure I was cat bum-mouthed about it and told them my dd had had pneumonia recently, but it was ridiculous how inconsiderate they were.

Normally I don't judge too much about smoking in the playground if it's on the sidelines, especially as I live in Spain where everyone seems to be puffing away. Plus I'm an ex-smoker and my dp smokes (always outside though). But this was just taking the piss.

where do you live givitago? sounds very louche