MNHQ: Ban smoking in children's playgrounds

[Topsy1976]

Unbelievably, there is no law against smoking in children's playgrounds in the UK. Research shows that reducing child exposure to smoking decreases the uptake of smoking among young people in the long term. And children learn their behaviour from adults.

It is quite often close enough that children inhale it whilst playing (at least in my park they do), it is a poor example and usually ends in littering.

It is banned in Australia, the US and many other countries.

Put simply, if you ask any normal person "is it right to smoke in a children's playground?" I think that no-one would say yes.

Please can we join together to try and get smoking banned in children's playgrounds.

At the moment it is at the will of the local council and my council (North Edinburgh) allows it.

I have never seen a child exposed to someones fag whilst been pushed on a swing.

Im out of this one. Whatever next.

It's better than smoking in the house, no?

i have. that's why i am raising it. you must live in a nicer area than me.

i guess it depends on how worse a situation it is in your park. i do agree that they could keep smoking out of the children's play area if it's closed off and think now it's kind of just nice manners not to litter the area with butts if nothing else.

i suppose it should be a guideline rather than an all out ban.

I do agree that in the play ground areas of parks (ie not great big expanses of grass) that it should be banned. As the mother of an asthmatic toddler who reacts very badly to smoke it does annoy me when someone is smoking in a childrens play area.

If you're going to ban smoking in certain places are you going to ban cars too? Because they are far more toxic but I guess it's okay to expose kids to exhaust fumes because it's convenient?

there are a million other outdoor spaces that you can smoke in. Surely a person can hold off for half an hour whilst they take your kids to a small, densely child-populated playground.

I am not a smoking nazi honestly. but there is really no need to smoke in these places.

I'm more concerned that non-parent smokers tend to hold their lit fags at toddler eye height, but wrt the rest of the OP I think you're being a bit hysterical.

Topsy I agree but at the same time is it really fair to ban people from doing something legal in yet another public place? Smokers already can barely smoke anywhere and if they are too close you could ask them to move, not ban them!

I needed a fag to get me through the hell that was a childrens playground .

Starlight Now that is a sensible argument and a petition I would sign.
Few weeks ago I was coming out of tesco and a woman had who must have been her newborn GC in one of those built in car seat type seats on the trolley at eye height and she lit up and was blowing it in the poor babies face! :(

Seriously, people smoke in playgrounds? . I have never seen that.
I thought you meant school playgrounds from your title and I was at that too.
Blimey. What next - skinning up at soft play?

Might make soft play more bearable

bongs at soft play would be more ethical

what usualsuspect said but also i go away from any children, often over to the fence or where, somewhere i can see my kids but am out the way of others, and i will check what direction the wind is blowing in etc, plus i am super careful about my fag and dont hold it at toddler height and would put it out or move if a child came anywhere near me :)

people just need to be considerate, bit like the other day i was in town, and near a bus stop, not an enclosed one, anyway i was the only person waiting for a bus and had a fag and some woman came and stood RIGHT next to me and then had the nerve to tell me to stop smoking, well hello there is plenty of space, i am outside not in an enclosed area you can stand away from me, but no she chose to stand next to a smoking person and then moaned about it!

Ok i am mostly on my own here. Have tried asking nicely - i get ''there's no sign". And they continue. You seem to be against smoke being blown into your child's face - this is what this talks to. Smokers smoke yourselves into a fug in an open park, your living room or wherever. Just not in my childs face whilst they are trying to enjoy themselves and get some fresh air.

I've never blown smoke in a childs face, and all the playgrounds I've ever been to are in the open air.

no it's a reasonably request topsy, get on to environmental health at your local council or the parks department. i doubt they could legally enforce it but it would be nice if butts were kept away from play areas.

nope i have never blown smoke in a childs face either i did have a teen once who leant over and blew smoke into my babies pram!! i was fucking livid! but i am a considerate smoker, we can be you know :)

TBH, in 22 years of frequenting playgrounds as an adult, I don't think I've ever encountered it, except during the summer when the park is very busy with picnickers.

In enclosed playgrounds, which already state no dogs, I can see it would be easy to implement stick up a sign.

I know - but there are always some morons that spoil it for everyone. maybe a more specific 'no moron smokers' is appropriate :-)

Some playgrounds say no alcohol. I ignore it, because it only applies to teenage chavs and not middle-class people like me.

Oh, yes, a can of ready G&T doesn't count.