Others smoking around your children

[pinklightbulb]

Why? I went back on topic, if you read it.

And I'm not silly. I know smoking is a horrible habit. I'm just saying there can be overkill about it. Kids can be exposed to far worse than some passive smoke in town.

 

[staralfur]

I really don't think you can be too careful about secondhand smoke.

 

[pinklightbulb]

One can try to minimise exposure, sure. But nobody can dictate the habits or lives or choices of others. That's just not how life works. In my area, non-smokers lobby for more smoke-free areas all the time, and that is their right. It isn't legal to smoke in parks, beaches, outdoor dining areas, etc where kids are very often present, and I still manage to get along fine. In town, it's another story. Kids are present there, too, but smoking is allowed in most areas. There are going to be smokers around. I try to keep my own children to a decent distance from them, but it doesn't always work that way, and I just accept that it's something I just have to deal with and that there are worse things in the world than a couple seconds' exposure to secondhand smoke.

 

[onetwothreebp]

Why? I went back on topic, if you read it.

And I'm not silly. I know smoking is a horrible habit. I'm just saying there can be overkill about it. Kids can be exposed to far worse than some passive smoke in town.

I'm going to believe you are being purposefully obtuse for the sake of arguing.

I'm out.

 

[kissesandhugs]

It's... A debate section..?

 

[staralfur]

One can try to minimise exposure, sure. But nobody can dictate the habits or lives or choices of others. That's just not how life works. In my area, non-smokers lobby for more smoke-free areas all the time, and that is their right. It isn't legal to smoke in parks, beaches, outdoor dining areas, etc where kids are very often present, and I still manage to get along fine. In town, it's another story. Kids are present there, too, but smoking is allowed in most areas. There are going to be smokers around. I try to keep my own children to a decent distance from them, but it doesn't always work that way, and I just accept that it's something I just have to deal with and that there are worse things in the world than a couple seconds' exposure to secondhand smoke.

Sure they can. That's generally why there are laws; to minimize needless harm to others and the environment.

Just because there are "worse things" doesn't make it okay.

 

[onetwothreebp]

It's... A debate section..?

Debate, yes. Arguing, no. I have a hard time believing somebody truly believes the bs she is spouting.

 

[pinklightbulb]

It isn't bulllshit. You can't control everything. You seem to think your beliefs should influence my legal rights. As you say, you want to eradicate smoking. Well, a lot of others don't and you need to live with that fact. Kids are everywhere. Smokers are everywhere, though not so much these days, but still, we exist. It's inevitable that sometimes you will cross paths with passive smoke, even though I and a great deal of other smokers do not purposefully try to infest you with it. I am sorry about that, but if you don't like it, go and complain to your local council and get them to do something.

 

[pinklightbulb]

Actually, complain to the government for endorsing smokers by continuing to sell it. I don't know about your country but in mine, anti-smoking campaingers have made it law to cover cigarettes in shops, make all packets black with no branding, and put countless ads on TV. Sure, it doesn't stop everyone, but it will lessen the problem eventually, one would hope. The price of cigarettes in my country has tripled in the last 10 years. However, the government rakes in tax from smokers, and will continue to do so because it's money for them

It's life. Not everything in it will always go how the majority wants it to, when the powers that be aren't really helping the minority to quit by continuing to make tobacco legal. Blame them for being greedy, if you must. They certainly are, or tobacco would be illegal, wouldn't it? Then as you say, smokers would have no choice but to quit. As it stands, where there is temptation, there will be people like me and a lot of others who succumb to it.

 

[Sarahkka]

While I do think this argument has gone around in circles somewhat, I don't think pinklightbulb has been offensive. I don't agree with her, but I think she is interested in this topic and is genuinely debating it. I'm not getting the sense that she just wants a fight, or any such thing.

 

[staralfur]

It's definitely the government's fault, I don't think I ever suggested otherwise. Nicotine is more addictive than heroin and yet it's perfectly legal because as you pointed out, they make a shitload of money from it. It makes me sick.

It's not just about our beliefs, it's about the FACT that smoking really has no redeeming qualities whatsoever and is responsible for the millions of deaths of both the people who do it and the people who are subjected to it unwillingly.

 

[onetwothreebp]

It's not about the government or your legal rights. I don't care if you want to smoke. My issue is that because I want to protect my son from such toxic fumes, you tell me my son can't stay in his bubble forever. Ridiculous.

 

[pinklightbulb]

There are other toxins in life, you know... cigarette smoke is only one form. There are pesticides on food. Car, bus and truck exhaust in the air. Who knows what from big companies billowing black smoke into the sky on a daily basis. So no, it isn't ridiculous to say that smoking isn't the only form of something toxic that can enter anyone's body and affect them. That's why I said not being able to keep a kid in a bubble, because you can't control all the other clouds of crap everywhere either. They are also a part of life.

 

[onetwothreebp]

Oh for christs sake.

 

[ILoveShoes]

I'm not a fan of smoking and would like to pprotect my son from environmental tobacco smoke as much as I can.
We were on holiday, in Europe, in 2011 and were eating in a restaurant. The people on the table next to us (who were British too) were all smoking, and they were holding their cigs in the hands closest to us. I had my 10 month old son with me, and their smoke was blowing all over us. I very politely asked if they could hold their cigs in the other hand so their smoke would blow in the other direction. (There wasn't a table on the other side of them!)
I wasn't rude about it, but I don't think it's too much to ask for people to be respectful and courteous.
The people did seem shocked that I asked, but they did swap hands.
Unfortunately, we couldn't have just moved to a different table because the restaurant was very busy.
xx

 

[theclarks8687]

Pinklightbulb, is absolutely right in we can't protecchildten ay all times over everything. And I get where she is coming from when is it considered "far enough distance" to not be considered rude. Where I am from, smoking is a bit more out in the open but most smokers I meet (including myself) try to be fairly considerate. I do not smoke around kids, or in my own home but what happens when my neighbors kid comes up to my porch while I'm smoking and I'm shooing them away. Am I the inconsiderate one for smoking when I was on ky own porch, or standing off to myself and people walk right by me? And to the original post.....if you allowed (whether by letting them go with oh of whatever) your children to go over to a smokers house you should expect them to come hack smelling like smoke if they smoke inside because the smell and whatnot lingers on everything(hence why I don't smoke inside)

 

[theclarks8687]

I'm not a fan of smoking and would like to pprotect my son from environmental tobacco smoke as much as I can.
We were on holiday, in Europe, in 2011 and were eating in a restaurant. The people on the table next to us (who were British too) were all smoking, and they were holding their cigs in the hands closest to us. I had my 10 month old son with me, and their smoke was blowing all over us. I very politely asked if they could hold their cigs in the other hand so their smoke would blow in the other direction. (There wasn't a table on the other side of them!)
I wasn't rude about it, but I don't think it's too much to ask for people to be respectful and courteous.
The people did seem shocked that I asked, but they did swap hands.
Unfortunately, we couldn't have just moved to a different table because the restaurant was very busy.
xx

here I do agree with our laws which and inside place that legalize smoking is allowed indoors has to be 21 and up

 

[Piper84]

What does another thread have to do with this? And yes, they are, but that isn't the point. I don't even recall the thread you are talking about. Sorry if you felt attacked, and if I didn't put my opinion across respectfully.

I just think there's a valid connection, that's all.

 

[onetwothreebp]

I don't think she's wrong in saying we can't protect our children from everything bad because we really can't. However, she seems to be using that as her excuse to smoke near children and I disagree with that.

(And I realize she has said she stands away when she can, etc etc)

 

[pinklightbulb]

I have said MULTIPLE times in this thread, I don't smoke around kids. Not unless I'm in public and they wander too close.