Breath-testing pregnant smokers

[Zerub]

What is this all about? In Glasgow they're going to do some kind of breathtest on women at their booking-in appointment to find out if they smoke (and then offer help to stop smoking).

So what are they going to do? Say, "excuse me, we're offering this new test to find out if you accidentally smoke without realising it". All the women who don't smoke will refuse the test, all the women who smoke and don't want to admit it will refuse, and those who admit they smoke don't need it...

How bizarre. Unless they're going to lie about the purpose of the test, or lie to people and say they are required to have it.

Or am I missing something?

(will post link in next message - no instruction on screen at the moment!)

BBC news

Agree Zerub - presumably they are trying to identify women who smoke but deny it. But if they tell people why they are testing, presumably these women will opt out? And if they lie, saying it's just a routine test, that's a. going to make these women angry/upset and that doesn't help anyone give up and b. be completely unethical. And nicotine replacment therapy is contra-indicated in pregnancy so should not be recommended. Presumably they think it's better than smoking. But there are known risks to baby ? are they going to lie about them?

It sounds mad, Zerub. You have to assume people are telling the truth or there would be no end of things you'd have to check for. Are they going to put spy-cameras in the fridge too?

I saw this last night and thought it was completely barking mad! It's going to be a total waste of money, because no one can give up smoking unless they themselves want to give up. No amount of hectoring will stop anyone from smoking. By all means offer help but imo this is money that could be much better spent elsewhere.

I'd also like to know how they are going to distinguish between active and passive smokers - if the breath test only measures carbon-monoxide, how do they know the levels were put there by active smoking?

Sounds like another example of the pregnancy police to me.

Here in Germany some doctors tell pregnant women who smoke that they should just 'cut down' as to give up would be too stressful on them and baby - go figure!

Waste of time chasing smokers in Glasgow, you can count the non-smokers on the fingers of one hand. Cheaper to sniff their hair and inspect the index and middle fingers for nicotine stains

LOL, Tissy!

Strange ... maybe they should do an alcohol breath test too! Isn't alcohol drinking meant to be more damaging? Basically all they'll do is alienate a lot of pregnant women and keep them from their antenatal appointments which would be damaging in itself.