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

Baloney Amputation, BSN, LPN, RN · Mar 12, 2011

You really can't discriminate between various hazards to health (and to be honest the weight issue is probably more immediate and concerning)

If a child is asthmatic, for example, and forced to live with cigarette smoke, this is much more immediate and concerning than being fat. Hands down. Being fat doesn't hinder breathing in quite the same way that an acute asthma attack does.

starzrn · Mar 12, 2011

"Should second-hand smoke be illegal in a home with children?"
Seriously? Do you want governmental intrusion into our homes?

Less government unions...yes...but when it comes to innocent children NO!

CBsMommy · Mar 12, 2011

I personally don't like cigarette smoke and I'm not a fan of people smoking at all however, the problem with making it illegal in someone's home is, who is going to police it?

roser13, ASN, RN · Mar 12, 2011

"Less government unions...yes...but when it comes to innocent children NO!"

Gotcha.

So.....while we're at it, let's regulate the # of vegetables that are fed to innocent children (all children deserve an adequate diet), the # of blankets on their beds (need for warmth - SIDS risk = optimal blanketage), the # of parental units in the home (2 = optimal), and of course all innocent children must have a alcohol-free home.

BrookeeLou_RN · Mar 12, 2011

Wrong..yes it is wrong but what about alcohol.. not just use or abuse.. what about children who pick up that 1/2 empty can just to get a drink not knowing....Government has too much power now... and giving them more will not help.. It seems that they take measures against the parents trying to change.. or take away power of parent to be parents and teach their children..

And who would enforce it.. police are overworked now. More education to parents would not hurt..might not help many but?? maybe a few. Medical caregivers of asthmatic children should point out the dangers. I know on a personal level this does not happen as my son and wife smoke and grandson has bad asthma so I try to educate just to be told the DR never said anything.. So I say did you ask? So one day I ask to go to new Dr they had and I asked him and he said he felt "it was not really a big deal"

Speeding is illegal and will certainly have the potential to harm a child but people still do it.

whatwasithinkinglol · Mar 12, 2011

YES YES YES it should be illegal!!!!!!

I smoke. My husband smokes. Would I trap my child in a house full of smoke, knowing I must quit, that it is harmful to my health, knowing that CHF and COPD might be my future (and THEIRS!) if I don't....

We put our kids in seatbelts, get them immunized, educate them... We did not bring them into the world (or become nurses) to knowingly cause harm.

A doctor/nurse that is aware that a parent KNOWINGLY puts a child at risk for serious medical issue is obligated to report it.

If I walked into a house full of smoke with a baby in a playpen, I would remove the kid myself, air the house out while I waited for authorities to come. That is selfish and abusive!!!!

Did I mention that I'm a smoker and have kids that are asthmatic? It's just wrong!!!!! Kids should not second hand smoke!!!!

yooper13 · Mar 12, 2011

I smoke (I know...horrible habit that I need to quit...). However, I have not smoked in my house for over 13 years. I have one daughter (who is 13). My personal philosophy being, I am aware of the dangers of smoking, yet choose to continue to do it. However, my child has no control over her environment, and I don't want to expose her to the dangers of smoking!

I live in Michigan; VERY cold to go outside for a cigarette. Yet, I do it, and I make smoking guests do it. I used to apologize for this (sorry..we don't smoke in my house...my "roommate" doesn't like it), but then decided an apology was ridiculous. This is MY house, and I don't smoke in it. Period.

As far as making it illegal...Aren't there enough crazy laws??? I realize that, among smokers, my position with smoking around MY child is not a popular one (yes, I cringe when I see little kids in cars or houses trapped around a cloud of smoke), but I stand by it PERSONALLY. If they are going to make a law concerning smoking IN YOUR OWN HOUSE, I may just have to reconsider...(not really...I like the fact that my couch and clean laundry does NOT smell like smoke, not to mention the fact that my daughter is sans asthma...)

Someone mentioned "education is key". Right on!

WildcatFanRN, BSN, RN · Mar 12, 2011

I am getting so tired of the bashing of smokers. I don't smoke, but my husband does. He doesn't smoke in the house or around our daughter but to hear a lot of you he should be classified a criminal simply because he enjoys smoking. It's PC right now to discriminate against smokers since it's "cause celebre" right now. So what do you think the punishment should be for parents who are good parents, but smoke in the home around their children. I guess the government should remove them from the home and place them in non-smoking foster care for their protection. Perhaps the parents in question should also lose their parental rights simply because they choose to smoke and also had the audacity to want children. I guess our daughter should be taken away from us because he smokes and I'm fat, we aren't fit to be parents since we are unhealthy role models right? That's what I'm getting from this thread and others like it. Since some people are in favor of making smoking in one's own private home illegal because they have children, what else do you want to make illegal while your at it?

If you want to really clear the air how about not driving a car. A car puts out way more pollution and cancer causing agents into the air than smokers, but no one wants to ban them or make them illegal. Get rid of every coal powered plant and get rid of any power plant that uses combustables. I bet ya childhood asthma rates would drop a whole lot.

I wish smokers would start speaking up about all this crap. I'd be pretty teed off if I smoked and was told "you can't smoke outside in a public place, you can't smoke inside, you can't smoke in your car, you can't smoke in your own house, you can't smoke outside in a private place, yet we'll continue to raise taxes on your cigarettes". Heck on the taxes my husband wouldn't mind paying them if the money was actually used for what they told the voters it would be used for....children's education.

I'm sorry but this thread just burns me especially after the kind of day my mother has had from "government intrusion". I grew up in a home with smokers, I wasn't any sicker than any other kid.

I'm not usually this vocal about something but I'm getting tired of the smoker-bashing.

sharpeimom · Mar 12, 2011

homes and cars!!!!

starzrn · Mar 12, 2011

"Less government unions...yes...but when it comes to innocent children NO!"
Gotcha.
So.....while we're at it, let's regulate the # of vegetables that are fed to innocent children (all children deserve an adequate diet), the # of blankets on their beds (need for warmth - SIDS risk = optimal blanketage), the # of parental units in the home (2 = optimal), and of course all innocent children must have a alcohol-free home.

we have to choose our battles... i realize that...but being a child of a smoking parent, with asthma, not smoking a cigarette a day in my life, is much different then skipping some veggies!

starzrn · Mar 12, 2011

YES YES YES it should be illegal!!!!!!
I smoke. My husband smokes. Would I trap my child in a house full of smoke, knowing I must quit, that it is harmful to my health, knowing that CHF and COPD might be my future (and THEIRS!) if I don't....
We put our kids in seatbelts, get them immunized, educate them... We did not bring them into the world (or become nurses) to knowingly cause harm.
A doctor/nurse that is aware that a parent KNOWINGLY puts a child at risk for serious medical issue is obligated to report it.
If I walked into a house full of smoke with a baby in a playpen, I would remove the kid myself, air the house out while I waited for authorities to come. That is selfish and abusive!!!!
Did I mention that I'm a smoker and have kids that are asthmatic? It's just wrong!!!!! Kids should not second hand smoke!!!!

I appreciate your honesty and respect you!

starzrn · Mar 12, 2011

I am getting so tired of the bashing of smokers. I don't smoke, but my husband does. He doesn't smoke in the house or around our daughter but to hear a lot of you he should be classified a criminal simply because he enjoys smoking. It's PC right now to discriminate against smokers since it's "cause celebre" right now. So what do you think the punishment should be for parents who are good parents, but smoke in the home around their children. I guess the government should remove them from the home and place them in non-smoking foster care for their protection. Perhaps the parents in question should also lose their parental rights simply because they choose to smoke and also had the audacity to want children. I guess our daughter should be taken away from us because he smokes and I'm fat, we aren't fit to be parents since we are unhealthy role models right? That's what I'm getting from this thread and others like it. Since some people are in favor of making smoking in one's own private home illegal because they have children, what else do you want to make illegal while your at it?
If you want to really clear the air how about not driving a car. A car puts out way more pollution and cancer causing agents into the air than smokers, but no one wants to ban them or make them illegal. Get rid of every coal powered plant and get rid of any power plant that uses combustables. I bet ya childhood asthma rates would drop a whole lot.
I wish smokers would start speaking up about all this crap. I'd be pretty teed off if I smoked and was told "you can't smoke outside in a public place, you can't smoke inside, you can't smoke in your car, you can't smoke in your own house, you can't smoke outside in a private place, yet we'll continue to raise taxes on your cigarettes". Heck on the taxes my husband wouldn't mind paying them if the money was actually used for what they told the voters it would be used for....children's education.
I'm sorry but this thread just burns me especially after the kind of day my mother has had from "government intrusion". I grew up in a home with smokers, I wasn't any sicker than any other kid.
I'm not usually this vocal about something but I'm getting tired of the smoker-bashing.

Are you kidding me? When smoke is blown in my face, I CANT BREATHE!!!