to think that if parents smoke they are very selfish......

[posieparker]

considering between 500 to 1,000 children a year end up in hospital because they are exposed to their parents' smoking.

Ooh do you have a death wish?!!

Yeap, I agree, I can't understand why anyone does it anyway, even less so when they have kids.

But why start a thread about it? You're asking for trouble!

YANBU, it should be banned

A lot of smokers are quite naive though. It's not like drinking where all of the toxins go inside you - the chemicals from smoking permeate everywhere, and some are bound to enter their children. Sadly some people don't understand this.

I'm with you posieparker. I smoked untill the day I found out I was pg with DC1. I don't care how stressed anyone is, parents who smoke are selfish, IMO.

YABU

I think blind people should not be allowed to drive.

I think fat people should stop eating so much if they want to get thinner.

How did I do? I presume this is the blindingly obvious but pointless and annoying thread.

yes they are and i used to smoke 20 a day from 15 - 22 yrs old and gave up in one day - the day i found out i was pregnant, so i really can not understand why they carry on during pregnancy.

although i don't judge so harshly when they stop for pregnancy then start again - not around their children etc, but thats rare.

I hate seeing mums pushing a buggy with a little baby inside and smoke from their fag driffting into it ugh, vom!

OK. So parents who expose their DCs to cigarette smoke are selfish and the harm it does is pretty much a taken. I'm not arguing with that.

But I'm interested to know where the figures come from - I was thinking this t'other day after a smear test (the nurse grilled me on my drinking habits, smoking, weight and so on).

DS does not have asthma but he has had a series of chest infections this winter that have led to him being prescribed an inhaler, just to help him sleep when the coughing got bad.

I do not and never have smoked near him and never, ever in the house.

But I'm now officially smoker (having informed the nurse) and my DS had respiriory problems - assuming they can link our medical records, will the two be related for the sake of Govt statistics?

So, Janice, can I conclude all parent smokers have a low IQ, or have somehow managed to avoid all information informing them about the risks of smoking?

Or are just selfish.

As a smoker I agree that it should be banned. Take away all cigarette stalls in shops. Nowhere to buy = no choice but to go cold turkey. I have tried to give up and failed miserably.

My own personal opinion was that if the cost in terms of health and the money spent on treating smoking-related diseases is so high, then the government should ban smoking. I don't know though to what extent there is parity between a) amount of money raised through taxation of tobacco in comparison with b) cost of treatment.

It's only selfish if you don't share. I always let my DCs smoke the last half of my fag.

YANBU.

Depends. If they don't smoke around their DC then no. This stuff about oo, bwaaaaah, the evilness of one fag can kill your child from a mile away is nonsense: unless you live in a bubble or your own private island your PFB is going to be exposed to traffic fumes, low level radiation, chemicals in foods, etc. The occasional passing drift of fag smoke is no big deal, a parent who smokes down the end of the garden when the dc in bed is no big deal.
Get over yourself.

No Lynette, but a lot of people think that if they don't smoke near their kids, then that's ok. They don't seem to realise that a lot of noxious smoke particles are stuck to their clothes and skin, ready to be transferred to their children when they give them a hug.

I taught all my kids to roll mine for me

Yes they are, but everyone is selfish to an extent, some people enjoy it and dont give a shit, some want to give up but are addicted

Wouldn't it be great to be perfect, i agree this is a pointless thread

Lots of thread are pointless.

It depends what you mean by "parents who smoke". I have the occasional cigarette, but my kids do not and never will know this. I didn't smoke when I was pregnant or bf'ing, have never smoked in the house or the car. I would hate my kids to know I smoke, and would certainly hate them to see me.

In other ways, I am very healthy. I am very concious of exercise and diet, and am trying to instil the same into the children.

At risk of being flamed, I think my smoking has less impact on my children than other parents' obesity or unhealthy lifestyles has on theirs. Lots of things that parents do is selfish.

I think the smoking argument is totally political now and hence the stats and debate is skewed. There are many more things that harm many more children in many more harmful ways but these are rarely used in such a way.

How can you be sure your children will never find out? (Just interested)

Because I know a couple of people who have this attitude and I find it a little odd! I guess if you smoke alone, after they are in bed, down the end of the garden you could possibly get away with it. But these people are 'social smokers'. I wonder whether they tell their friends never to let on that they smoke.

I just read the Panorama page and saw the above quote that is often disputed on MN....waiting for the usual oh but cars are bad too.....

terrifying stuff

I worked with a woman who claimed her three year old could skin up.

Riven....yes it's that!