Smoking in the car while kids in the back

[Poindexter]

Who among us isn't addicted to something?

But if you smoke, pick a different addiction. O

Preferably one that also doesn't slowly kill the people around you.

[StraitTalk]

Second-hand smoke actually LOWERS childrens risk of developing certain illness's according to this study: http://www.sott.net/article/221013-Heal ... ng-Tobacco

Just because there are benefits doesn't mean something is a beneficial.

yet consistently the Govt. rakes in more taxes from cigarettes than they pay out to treat smoking-related diseases.

I would like to see where it says cigarette taxes pay for the health costs they result in.

[mysideofthings]

Thankfully, I never picked up on smoking. Most in my family did.

I can remember my parents smoking when I was in the car and even in the house at one point. Luckily, I don't have asthma, but I was born several months early and had a lung disease and breathing problems at birth. I am lucky I never developed any issues related to them smoking in close proximity to me though.

I strongly dislike cigarette smoke whether it's near me or on someone's clothes. I don't get why people smoke near kids to begin with though.

[Hmmm]

I don't get why people smoke near kids to begin with though.

Because some are a slave to it and others are just plain selfish, uncaring and or stupid.

[redwine]

I grew up in the 80's when it was very common for people to smoke in houses, in cars, while pregnant. Luckily none of us (now grown) kids show any ill effects from it and I would say that the positive side of it is none of us kids grew up to be smokers because of how much we hated the smell. As we grew up and learned more about the dangers we would refuse to do chores in a room where our parents smoked, we would get up from watching TV and leave the room if they lit up. While they still smoke today (only outside) they are very aware of who is around, and I know they are embarrassed by their addiction and try to be as discreet as they can.

[acrent7]

I can't imagine having so much resentment for my parents who did the best they knew how at the time. In their day, there wasn't the information and pretty much every one smoked from what I remember as a kid.

Is this a joke…in their day?? It isn't their day anymore! people have the knowledge and knowhow to understand the risks! Why on earth would you put your children at risk! Even those parents who can't even make it out of the grocery store and have to light up the second they get out and blow it on their kids while they push to the car and then unload…it KILLS me to watch this! Those poor children…it should be considered child abuse!

[acrent7]

Second-hand smoke actually LOWERS childrens risk of developing certain illness's according to this study: http://www.sott.net/article/221013-Heal ... ng-Tobacco

When I was a kid and was exposed to second hand smoke, very few kids had food allergies. Now, your child is not allowed to bring peanut butter sandwiches to school!

Quote from the study:

"Perhaps most shockingly, tobacco smoke's anti-inflammatory effects may actually provide some benefits to children who are exposed to secondhand smoke. While this is certainly not worth at-home experimentation, one astonishing study conducted in Sweden observed two generations of Swedish children and found that the children of smokers had lower rates of allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, atopic eczema, and food allergies. The studied groups included 6909 adults and 4472 children, and the findings remained consistent, even when adjusted to reflect other variables."

I am not trying to promote smoking, but as a smoker, I'm sick and tired of being treated as a second-class citizen because of what I choose to put into my body. People complain that it costs so much to treat smoking related disease, yet consistently the Govt. rakes in more taxes from cigarettes than they pay out to treat smoking-related diseases. The last info I could find was taxes on cigarettes bring in 13 billion dollars a year, but treating smoking-related disease cost's are 10 billion/year.

Who do you think supported and paid for this study...

[Xia33]

Is this a joke…in their day?? It isn't their day anymore! people have the knowledge and knowhow to understand the risks! Why on earth would you put your children at risk! Even those parents who can't even make it out of the grocery store and have to light up the second they get out and blow it on their kids while they push to the car and then unload…it KILLS me to watch this! Those poor children…it should be considered child abuse!

lol...well, if you actually read my post, I was talking about those who hold resentment for their parents who did not have the info that is out there today. Yes, in THEIR day....not this era. Maybe come down off the soapbox? I agree with not smoking around kids, I just hold zero resentment for my parents who smoked around us in a time when it was a normal activity. THEY knew no different.

[Xia33]

I'm sick and tired of being treated as a second-class citizen because of what I choose to put into my body. People complain that it costs so much to treat smoking related disease, ..........

Agree....no one should be treated any differently, or like a leper, because they smoke...providing they are not rude or obnoxious about it and respect others space. I, personally, don't particularly like body odor and/or flatulence...yet people continually do/have this in public spaces.... What about what fast food does and is doing to kids and adults alike? What do you think the end results, in health care, are of that?
I think there are a lot of things out there that are unhealthy....but the bottom line is that last I heard it is still supposedly a free country.

[Catz]

I remember the smoking in the car, in the house, everywhere. It was acceptable. Things have greatly changed. In saying that, it is not against the law to smoke. If someone wants one while out the grocery store while the kid is pushing the buggy, who cares? It is within their right to smoke out side. IMO.

[Type_O]

It's a terrible addiction.

I'm ashamed to admit that I sparingly smoked in the car when our kids were small. Then, going anywhere was an hour or more to drive.

I hope anyone who smokes in the car with a child reads this and takes it to heart.

It breaks my heart when I recall:

Our oldest asked me to "close the window" because the "sketo's" (mosquitoes) were "biting".

What she meant, was the burning ashes from my cigarette were blowing straight onto her, while she was strapped in her little car seat.

It was then I stopped smoking in my car.

[acrent7]

lol...well, if you actually read my post, I was talking about those who hold resentment for their parents who did not have the info that is out there today. Yes, in THEIR day....not this era. Maybe come down off the soapbox? I agree with not smoking around kids, I just hold zero resentment for my parents who smoked around us in a time when it was a normal activity. THEY knew no different.[/quote]


You're right, I'm sorry…a hot button issue I guess. Considering Dr's smoked in the office, and the 'non'-smoking' section of the restaurant was divided by a ½ wall, we know better now. That's what bugs me the most…we all know better especially in regards to the health of our kids!

[Xia33]

Thank you.

[Osoyoos_Familyof4]

This is an interesting thread on several issues, not just smoking but about empathy for the addicted and the responsibility of others.

I recognize smoking is a terrible addiction. My mother-in-law smoked and died too early of a death from lung cancer as did my favourite uncle. They both should have lived for another 20 years statistically but never got there and it broke the hearts of my family.

My own Mother smoked a pack a day and stroked out at 58 years old and I spent the next 14 years looking after her as she was severely cognitively disabled. I chose to do this to great sacrifice of my own young family. I had young children and there was a time where I was changing diapers of 2 little ones, and a grown-up, all because she smoked and drank too much (another scourge).

Growing up in the 70's my brother did have asthma, and yet they still smoked everywhere including the house and car.

Now I know that people didn't know then what they know now, I get that. But I really struggle with where their heads were at that they never put two-two together. As a parent now, I question everything when my kids are sick with something. I question things like "should I microwave their food, should I use plastic containers for their lunches, should I change my cleaning products, should I use organic soaps and hair products on them". You get the point.

Now I don't think I'm smarter than my parents generation were. But gosh-darn it why did they never use higher reasoning when it came to their own health or the health of their children? We ate crappy sugary cereals, we ate processed food I would never choose to feed my own children, they drank and smoked to excess in front of us, there were days they didn't see us from 8 in the morning till well after the porch light came on. Seriously, what was this generation thinking?

I get that we know now to question everything, but it's not like critical thinking is a new concept here. What were they lacking that we have more of now? I struggle with the "they didn't know better" argument. I mean holy-hell, even if they lacked resources I can't believe they never stopped to check themselves.

Sometimes I do question their commitment to their loved ones. Why wouldn't they ever have questioned their choices more critically? I have to lay some generational blame here. I think they were selfish, they were narcissistic, they were disinterested in doing anything other than what they wanted to do. Parenting in the 70's was a joke! It's a total miracle we made it to adulthood sometimes I think.

And smoking outside is good, but it's not great. I hate walking myself and my children through a haze of smoke around an entrance way. There are people on outdoor patios at restaurants around here who "sneak one in" if they think they can get away with it despite the law. Smoking is absolutely an affront to others in your vicinity. There is a news story kicking around right now about people buying homes wanting to know if their neighbours are "porch smokers" and quite frankly I am not sure I wouldn't want to know that too. We regularly ride our bikes on a route that goes past 2 homes where the people smoke outside and we can often see it and smell it.

I do think "banning smoking" is unrealistic but the whole situation stinks (literally). I'd like to see widespread smoking cessation materials/drugs free of charge across the board. I know that some people will still choose to smoke. But perhaps if enough people quit, it will simply make manufacturing tobacco products unprofitable enough to discourage manufacturers. At the very least I'd really like to see tobacco outlawed that isn't in a less harmful and noxious form (like the vapour cigarettes).

Why were our parent's generation so willfully non-critical thinkers? They were young when "the times were 'achangin" so I fail to let them off the hook completely here. I have empathy for them, but I struggle with it some days and I especially am miffed when I see my brother take another hit off his puffer!

[Xia33]

This is an interesting thread on several issues, not just smoking but about empathy for the addicted and the responsibility of others.

I recognize smoking is a terrible addiction. My mother-in-law smoked and died too early of a death from lung cancer as did my favourite uncle. They both should have lived for another 20 years statistically but never got there and it broke the hearts of my family. and yet, my grandfather smoked from the age of 14 and died at 92 from non smoking related causes...on the other hand, I have an uncle who is now in the throws of COPD from smoking...so how do you rationalize that it is always smoking that is the issue, and not the environment that one has grown up in, as in asbestos, pcb's and other things that have been corrected over time?

My own Mother smoked a pack a day and stroked out at 58 years old and I spent the next 14 years looking after her as she was severely cognitively disabled. I chose to do this to great sacrifice of my own young family. I had young children and there was a time where I was changing diapers of 2 little ones, and a grown-up, all because she smoked and drank too much (another scourge).I think it is very sad the resentment some hold for their parents in some situations. I aplaud your efforts on your mom's part and do understand some of the anger and blame....but learn from it, dont hang onto it, would be my advice(not that you need it) People live the way they live for several different reasons at the time, be it lack of knowledge or ignorance....but to harbor resentment is not healthy in any way...

Growing up in the 70's my brother did have asthma, and yet they still smoked everywhere including the house and car.

Now I know that people didn't know then what they know now, I get that. obviously, you don't get it But I really struggle with where their heads were at that they never put two-two together. As a parent now, I question everything when my kids are sick with something. I question things like "should I microwave their food, should I use plastic containers for their lunches, should I change my cleaning products, should I use organic soaps and hair products on them". You get the point.I get the point, but this day and age is an age of paranoia and psychobabble, along with a heightened awareness of our health and the need to take personal control of same

Now I don't think I'm smarter than my parents generation were. but, obviously, you do think this generation is smarter But gosh-darn it why did they never use higher reasoning when it came to their own health or the health of their children? because it was a very different time and way of thinking We ate crappy sugary cereals, we ate processed food I would never choose to feed my own children, they drank and smoked to excess in front of us, there were days they didn't see us from 8 in the morning till well after the porch light came on (again, a very different world...a much freer thinking, safer one, to boot). Seriously, what was this generation thinking? If you think that there aren't kids and adults alike who eat sugared cereal, fast food, processed food on a daily basis, you are kidding yourself. And these types of things do contribute to heart problems and stroke issues, as does the environment we live in

I get that we know now to question everything, but it's not like critical thinking is a new concept here. What were they lacking that we have more of now? I struggle with the "they didn't know better" argument. I mean holy-hell, even if they lacked resources I can't believe they never stopped to check themselves.one difference is the psychobabble around these days with regard to every little thing...questioning is good, paranoia is not

Sometimes I do question their commitment to their loved ones. As in todays world, that can be questioned in many different ways and many different situations....look around youWhy wouldn't they ever have questioned their choices more critically? I have to lay some generational blame here. Of course you doI think they were selfish, they were narcissistic, they were disinterested in doing anything other than what they wanted to do. Parenting in the 70's was a joke!again, a different era, different thinking It's a total miracle we made it to adulthood sometimes I think.and do you honestly think that it is, in all reality, any different today? As with every generation, there are those that are the way you say and those that are not. I really feel for you if you feel that your parents did not do what THEY believed to be okay in the era in which they lived.....it was NOT the way it is today...and a happy medium between the two would be nice, imo.

And smoking outside is good, but it's not great. I hate walking myself and my children through a haze of smoke around an entrance way. There are people on outdoor patios at restaurants around here who "sneak one in" if they think they can get away with it despite the law. Smoking is absolutely an affront to others in your vicinity. There is a news story kicking around right now about people buying homes wanting to know if their neighbours are "porch smokers" and quite frankly I am not sure I wouldn't want to know that too.that is a personal choice...but a little over the top imo We regularly ride our bikes on a route that goes past 2 homes where the people smoke outside and we can often see it and smell it.seriously? lol

I do think "banning smoking" is unrealistic but the whole situation stinks (literally). I'd like to see widespread smoking cessation materials/drugs free of charge across the board. when, in all reality, those chemicals can do more/equal harm to one's body..one chemical is just as bad as the other I know that some people will still choose to smoke. But perhaps if enough people quit, it will simply make manufacturing tobacco products unprofitable enough to discourage manufacturers.that is just wishful thinking At the very least I'd really like to see tobacco outlawed that isn't in a less harmful and noxious form (like the vapour cigarettes).

Why were our parent's generation so willfully non-critical thinkers? They were young when "the times were 'achangin" so I fail to let them off the hook completely here.of course you do....because you did not live in that era, because you live in the "over the top" era of today...a society with the need to control everything, as we are seeing on a daily basis and the "I know better" attitude I have empathy for them, but I struggle with it some days and I especially am miffed when I see my brother take another hit off his puffer! but asthmatics suffer with the pollen and many other things as well....yet you seem to blame your parents and their lack of "critical thinking"