Should second-hand smoke be illegal in a home with children?

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What do you think?

second hand smoke rarely cuts off a child's airway - it's the long term exposure and harm that arises later on that's the problem - just like the scenario with obese kids whose parents create and feed the problem.

Beating a child rarely causes death, but we would report it.

SUDDEN Infant death syndrome sounds a little more serious than a "fat kid"???

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I can't believe you are serious, but okay, I am happy to consider an honest answer if you help clarify a couple of questions for me.

First of all, let me ask this:

Do you think second hand smoke or third hand smoke is so serious that you believe you could cause fatal harm to a child?

Second question for you is, what would you consider harm to a child, if any, that you would want the government/authorities to get involved in... should education not be effective?

I believe second hand smoke is dangerous yes which is why we do not smoke in our home, which is why we never smoked in our vehicle for along time, (we have smoked in our vehicle with the windows rolled down as our children got older, but then quit again), as for third hand smoke, I do believe there is a possibility. I do know the smell of the smoke on ones clothing, hair, skin, does bother nonsmokers when one comes in from having a smoke. However I don't know if enough studies have been done, some will say that that is rubbish, while others believe that yes third hand smoke does harm children and others just as much, if not more so than 2nd hand smoke, which is why I asked the question. Myself, I believe third hand smoke does effect others. To what point, I dont know.

Does it cause fatal harm? Anything can cause fatal harm. The bleach under my sink was never locked up, that could have caused fatal harm. The tylenol my son opened and drank when I fell asleep on the couch (bad parenting or tired mom?) could have caused harm.

I dont think Govt should get involved. I think we should educate! Just as we've been doing for years, and it is working. Smoking as decreased, it is no longer seen as attractive, people smell horrible, it's expensive, we know the dangers.

we now have more chances to have our children see lungs that have been effected by nicotine usage, (just take them to BodyWorlds! The mother with the fetus who died of lung cancer was very sad but thats reality). http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100915/bc_body_worlds_100914/20100915?hub=BritishColumbiaHome

I smoke, I hate it, but again I dont think the govt should be involved.

So now I answered your question, back to my question.

What about those who do not smoke in their homes, who smoke outside, do you think that they too should have fines given for having their child subjected to Third Hand Smoke?

I know my children hate the smell and complain constantly. Would just like your opinion, thats all :)

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

I didn't see your hypothetical scenario when I answered the first time, but the principle behind it would be the same. We mobilize the resources already in place for both APS and DPS. They employ the professionals to investigate unsafe situations. They have the legal channel to get a judge involved after social services makes a recommendation.

AGAIN...I would not want the child to be removed from the home as in permanent. I would want the parent to put out the cigarette or I would want to get the child away from the smoke...do you get it?

AGAIN who wouldn't want that? Problem is how to translate the pie-in-the-sky hopes and wishes into statutes? How do you know that when the "temporary" disruption to the family is over, they don't walk over to 711 and buy a carton of cigarettes? You have to have a way to monitor their compliance? How do you do that?

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i don't think it should be illegal - it would also be impossible to police.

my grandparents smoked like freight trains in their closed up trailer and i remember it would burn my eyes and i'd open them with my fingers and put them in front of the air conditioner that was in the window.

my dad smoked in his apartment that was larger and had doors opened often and it never bothered me unless i got right up next to him with a cigarette.

i think it's bad to smoke in the same room or in the car with a child and ESPECIALLY a baby, but to say no smoking in the home at all?

when my son was an infant a girl i worked with came over to help with a spanish class i was taking. i didn't smoke a lot but i would have a cigarette and a beer now and then in the evening so when we were finished i offered her a beer which she accepted and after i put my son in the bed with the door closed i smoked a cigarette while we sat there drinking our beer. she went back to work and told someone how horrible it was that i was smoking "around" my baby! she got a mouthful - especially since she had told everyone about her boyfriend that left her toddler son at home alone in his crib at night when he picked her up from work.

if the worst thing i ever do as a parent is smoke in the same building as my children then i'll be happy.

And if you were one of the unlucky parents who smoked in the same home and caused SIDS to your child I wonder if you would re-word your last sentence.

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I didn't see your hypothetical scenario when I answered the first time, but the principle behind it would be the same. We mobilize the resources already in place for both APS and DPS. They employ the professionals to investigate unsafe situations. They have the legal channel to get a judge involved after social services makes a recommendation.

AGAIN who wouldn't want that? Problem is how to translate the pie-in-the-sky hopes and wishes into statutes? How do you know that when the "temporary" disruption to the family is over, they don't walk over to 711 and buy a carton of cigarettes? You have to have a way to monitor their compliance? How do you do that?

How did any new law start??? They start with a passion. Mother's against drunk drivers is one example I can think of.

Your example of "how do you know they won't..." obviously you can't save the world, just as littering has to be reported, I would hope it would at least cut down.

If just one child was saved from lung damage or death, it should be worth it I would think.

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Beating a child rarely causes death, but we would report it.

SUDDEN Infant death syndrome sounds a little more serious than a "fat kid"???

From what I understand the cause of SIDS has not been found.

When I left the hospital with our youngest the nurse wanted us to have him on his side or back, I refused saying that because he seemed to spit up, yet was able to move his head well I was placing him on his stomach. Almost was not allowed to take him home. He lived :).

Our children slept with us as well. I have been told from others that sleeping with one's child causes SIDS and others say it prevents SIDS. Some say breastfeeding prevents SIDS, I breastfed our children, yet I know others who never and their children were fine.

Some say it's from animals, or it is heritary. I know of one couple whose baby died from SIDS, neither smoked.

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Beating a child rarely causes death, but we would report it.

SUDDEN Infant death syndrome sounds a little more serious than a "fat kid"???

so you're the genius who has discovered that SIDS is caused by smoking in the home - even if "in the home" doesn't mean "in the presence of the child?"

i like how you pick and choose which causes of death are important. second hand smoke which has long term effects should be outlawed, but "fat kids" aren't that serious. interesting...

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
So you would call the police on a beating but not if you saw a smoking parent smoke around a baby? This is why I bring this up. We all know to call the police for a beating, and I would too, but why in only some states is it illegal for foster parents to smoke in a home. Should it not be illegal in all states? After all, a beating may or may not cause death just as second hand smoke may or may not cause death.

You don't want to wait until a child is gasping for breath. Just seeing a parent smoke around a child is enough for you. To you being beaten and a parent who smokes seem to be equivalent in your mind from what I can tell.

Over 40 million adults smoke in the United States. Millions of them have children. Do you really want to relocate that many children? Where are we going to put them? Who is going to take care of them?

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I believe second hand smoke is dangerous yes which is why we do not smoke in our home, which is why we never smoked in our vehicle for along time, (we have smoked in our vehicle with the windows rolled down as our children got older, but then quit again), as for third hand smoke, I do believe there is a possibility. I do know the smell of the smoke on ones clothing, hair, skin, does bother nonsmokers when one comes in from having a smoke. However I don't know if enough studies have been done, some will say that that is rubbish, while others believe that yes third hand smoke does harm children and others just as much, if not more so than 2nd hand smoke, which is why I asked the question. Myself, I believe third hand smoke does effect others. To what point, I dont know.

Does it cause fatal harm? Anything can cause fatal harm. The bleach under my sink was never locked up, that could have caused fatal harm. The tylenol my son opened and drank when I fell asleep on the couch (bad parenting or tired mom?) could have caused harm.

I dont think Govt should get involved. I think we should educate! Just as we've been doing for years, and it is working. Smoking as decreased, it is no longer seen as attractive, people smell horrible, it's expensive, we know the dangers.

we now have more chances to have our children see lungs that have been effected by nicotine usage, (just take them to BodyWorlds! The mother with the fetus who died of lung cancer was very sad but thats reality). http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100915/bc_body_worlds_100914/20100915?hub=BritishColumbiaHome

I smoke, I hate it, but again I dont think the govt should be involved.

So now I answered your question, back to my question.

What about those who do not smoke in their homes, who smoke outside, do you think that they too should have fines given for having their child subjected to Third Hand Smoke?

I know my children hate the smell and complain constantly. Would just like your opinion, thats all :)

Let me ask you the same question.

Is there anything serious enough you would report? Would you report a child whom you saw getting beat in a window to the point you saw harm?

Your example of bleach or Tylenol is not the same because smoking "is harmful". That's like saying "I won't keep a bat in my home because I am afraid someone might use it to kill someone" There is a difference from an actual cause of harm vs a potential.

I don't know enough about third hand smoke, but I am interested in knowing more.

What if i shot up heroin outside, should someone still report it" I don't care what it is...if I felt a child could be harmed, I would want to help!

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so you would call the police on a beating but not if you saw a smoking parent smoke around a baby? this is why i bring this up. we all know to call the police for a beating, and i would too, but why in only some states is it illegal for foster parents to smoke in a home. should it not be illegal in all states? after all, a beating may or may not cause death just as second hand smoke may or may not cause death.

"surgeon general warning: secondhand smoke puts children at risk

on june 27th, 2006, the surgeon general released a major new report on involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke, concluding that secondhand smoke causes disease and death in children and nonsmoking adults. the report finds a causal relationship between secondhand smoke exposure and sudden infant death syndrome (sids), and declares that the home is becoming the predominant location for exposure of children and adults to secondhand smoke.

there is a difference between casual relationship and cause.

yes there may be a casual relationship between smoking and sids, but no, smoking is not the cause of sids.

there is no known cause of sids.

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/sudden_infant_death_syndrome_sids/article_em.htm

http://www.sids-network.org/facts.htm

http://www.medicinenet.com/sids/page2.htm

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You don't want to wait until a child is gasping for breath. Just seeing a parent smoke around a child is enough for you. To you being beaten and a parent who smokes seem to be equivalent in your mind from what I can tell.

Over 40 million adults smoke in the United States. Millions of them have children. Do you really want to relocate that many children? Where are we going to put them? Who is going to take care of them?

It's actually the surgeons general warning that thinks a parents second hand smoke can cause death, I didn't come up with that one. I just know I couldn't breath.

Again...heck no, I wouldn't want to relocate that many kids, but if education doesn't work, such as telling people not to text while driving didn't work, the government has to step in. Is it always perfect? NO, but should we just let it slide? I don't believe so.

Most people are motivated by money, that is why I suggested fines. I am not a government employee, just a nurse with a passion for breath!

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let me ask you the same question.

is there anything serious enough you would report? would you report a child whom you saw getting beat in a window to the point you saw harm?

well yes, child beatings, (not a spanking-huge difference), sexual assault,

your example of bleach or tylenol is not the same because smoking "is harmful". that's like saying "i won't keep a bat in my home because i am afraid someone might use it to kill someone" there is a difference from an actual cause of harm vs a potential.

cigarettes are bad, so is alcohol but at the same time its something i enjoy. i also keep alcohol in my house.

i don't know enough about third hand smoke, but i am interested in knowing more.

what if i shot up heroin outside, should i still get fined" i don't care what it is...if i felt a child could be harmed, i would want to help!

great, google third hand smoke, better yet, look it up in nursing journals! let me know what you think after researching :)

if you shot up heroin, id hope youd get sent to treatment! i would not want to see a parent looking after a child on heroin, huge difference!! me smoking a cigarette does not effect my mental stability in looking after my child! :)

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