Should smoking around children be banned?

[AlonzoMourning23]

This would include smoking in a car with a child, smoking while pregnant, and would also include smoking in an area where you are very close to children. For example, smoking at the family dinner table when your children are eating.

[BoogyMan]

Being an asthmatic I think smoking should be banned period, especially in the presence of children.

[Elrathin]

I don't think it should be banned, but I think that there needs to be more education on the subject to try and convince parents not to do it. Thanks to at least current education on the subject my nephew is no longer subjected to smoking because my sister smokes outside of the house and never in the car.

I mean, how are you REALLY going to enforce smoking in the house near a child?

[BoogyMan]

I don't think it should be banned, but I think that there needs to be more education on the subject to try and convince parents not to do it.Â*Â*Thanks to at least current education on the subject my nephew is no longer subjected to smoking because my sister smokes outside of the house and never in the car.

I mean, how are you REALLY going to enforce smoking in the house near a child?


I don't know how it could ever be enforced, but I wish it could be.Â*Â*Smoking around a child has to be one of the most selfish actions I could ever imagine.

[Elrathin]

I don't know how it could ever be enforced, but I wish it could be. Smoking around a child has to be one of the most selfish actions I could ever imagine.

The only way I can see it being able to be enforced is by taking away freedoms which is unacceptable IMO (i.e. monitoring devices placed in everyones homes). However, I do agree that it is quite a selfish act from a parent to do in front of their children. I still think education is the key to preventing this.

[AlonzoMourning23]

I don't think it should be banned, but I think that there needs to be more education on the subject to try and convince parents not to do it.Â*Â*Thanks to at least current education on the subject my nephew is no longer subjected to smoking because my sister smokes outside of the house and never in the car.

I mean, how are you REALLY going to enforce smoking in the house near a child?


You can't, but you can do something about it if it becomes a problem.

You can't give kids alcohol, but my mother used to let me have a glass of wine and things like that long before I was of legal age. Wasn't legal, but no real chance of anyone doing anything about very moderate amount, especially since I wasn't showing up drunk anywhere.

Though, unlike children drinking in moderation, I don't think you can point to any benefits of having children learn responsible smoking.

But still, actions could have been taken if she did it irresponsibly.

[Nitrus]

It would have to be one of those laws, thats there, but not enforced, and only acted upon when the illegality becomes apparent, e.g when they visit a hospital and test show that they have broken that law.

[lily]

There are too many regulations already. What you do in the privacy of your own house, or car is your business. When you are in a public place, such as a resteraunt most already are non-smoking or you can choose to go to a non-smoking resteraunt.

I'm not saying that second hand smoke is not dangerous, but I don't want to see the government regulating it any more than they already do.

[Buck Laser]

There are too many regulations already. What you do in the privacy of your own house, or car is your business. When you are in a public place, such as a resteraunt most already are non-smoking or you can choose to go to a non-smoking resteraunt.

I'm not saying that second hand smoke is not dangerous, but I don't want to see the government regulating it any more than they already do.


I'm not libertarian enough to argue that smoking shouldn't be regulated: it infringes on the freedom of other people if I smoke in a public place. I remember how much pleasanter flying became when they finally eliminated all smoking on commercial flights. Exposing your children to smoke is irresponsible behavior, and I think it's fair to hold people responsible for their own behavior. As a former smoker, though, I know very well how hard it is to stop smoking. I finally quit in 1973, after 15 years of trying to quit. I haven't smoked since, and don't WANT to smoke, but I still smoke in my dreams! I know some other former smokers have the same experience.

Perhaps it would be to the general benefit of society if universal health insurance paid for smoking cessation treatment. The death rate might fall precipitately if no one smoked, thus putting the coffin makers out of business.:)

[AlonzoMourning23]

What you do in the privacy of your own house, or car is your business. When you are in a public place, such as a resteraunt most already are non-smoking or you can choose to go to a non-smoking resteraunt.


So you think a 5 year old can force his parents not to smoke or, if they continue, leave the house?

The parents choice is having the child inhale something that would be illegal if they inhaled it directly.

[lily]

My point Zo is the government doesn't have any business in regulating this. What you are proposing isn't possible. In one of your examples you mentioned pregnant women.......they can't or won't even prosecute women that do drugs while pregnant and their babies are born addicted.

I smoked around both my children when they were growing up. Neither has health problems, although I will admit my son does have mental problems. He insists now..... that he is much bigger than me, that I am not allowed to smoke in my own house when he is here. I'll do it for him, but I'll be damned if I'll do it for the government. As I said, they have no business telling me what to do in my own home.

If they are so worried about someone's health, then I would suggest to them hiring more inspectors for meat, vegetables and fruit.

[BoogyMan]

Lily, I know you may not see it this way as smoking is something that you are involved in and it probably gives you comfort, but to some even being near a smoker can be deadly.Â*Â*My asthma is so bad that second hand smoke can put me in the hospital pretty quickly.

There are studies available about the exposure to smoke and smoking that show it to be causal in childhood and adolescent asthma.Â*Â*

Smoking May Increase the Risk for Teen Asthma (http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/548117)

Parental smoking, presence of older siblings, and family history of asthma increase risk of bronchiolitis (http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/140/8/806)

I understand that no such ban could ever be enforced but I truly wish it could.

Indoor Environmental Asthma Triggers - Secondhand Smoke (http://www.epa.gov/asthma/shs.html)

[lily]

What you're not getting boogy is I know smoking is bad. I don't think the government has the right to tell me what I do in my home.

[BoogyMan]

What you're not getting boogy is I know smoking is bad. I don't think the government has the right to tell me what I do in my home.


You have a right to take that view Lily. I get what you are saying. I have suffered so much at the hands of others in this regard that I have an extremely biased viewpoint on this one and most likely cannot be objective.

[firefox]

There are already too many smoking laws. I have problems with ANYTHING being banned that hurts the person involved in the act more than others. "Public" space bans, ie, bans on smoking on government owned property is one thing, but you can't be going around threatening violence on individuals and private business owners who allow it on their own property. This is an obvious violation of property rights. What if the substance in question was aspirin? How would you feel then as an aspirin "user"? Oregon has already done this with sudafed, claiming that it was done to "protect the children" from meth creation, etc. This makes no sense, as is usually the case; You can't make meth very well with OTC drugs like that. In fact, it's quite hard, and no one does it given that there are so many easier ways to make it. The same could be said for smoking. Do you *really* think second-hand is somehow worse than first hand, as many appear to be claiming? Who's sucking up most of the nasty fumes?

I don't smoke with the occasional exception of rare social events, but I still support the individual's right to choose, just as I support the woman's right to choose to have an abortion. Libertarians are pro choice on everything! ;)

[wonder cow]

No.

Don't ban it, even though it sucks, and people who smoke around their kids should be ostracized and scoffed at. It would just give police and social services another excuse to harass people. And cost us money and aggregation and in the end achieve little of what was intended, being keeping children from being exposed to second hand smoke.

However, this is just another example of mommy government as the solution to all our problems.

[firefox]

I agree, Wonder Cow! This same excuse was used for the "War on Drugs" and look what has happened! Generally beneficial (if used properly) chemicals have become dangerous BECAUSE not in spite of them being banned. The same thing happened in the 20s-30s with alcohol prohibition. Any time you make something illegal, it goes underground and the price goes up so violent thugs (and the CIA!) are willing to kill for an otherwise cheap weed, pill, etc. We don't drive-by over aspirin do we?

[MAP2010.wireless]

I smoked for years I stated when I was 13 and stoped when I was 21,
I smoked around my little brother and so did my sister and his Dad.
So I know how easy it is to forget or not think about the harm kids get form people like me who smoked around kids, I think there should be a law to protect kids.

Mark

Edit: This Law would only work if the Kids told some one, I know its hard to see but its the same as if that child is harmed in other ways. I did it and now I know how wrong I was to smoke around him, he could not say hey stop smoking around me.

This law would only be a fine only law and would be hard to keep up.

[firefox]

Wireless, has anyone told you you're not Republican at all? No offense, but you're not. Not even mainstream Democrat. More like some European SDP...

[micfranklin]

Being an asthmatic I think smoking should be banned period, especially in the presence of children.


Don't get me wrong, smoking is a nasty habit and I'm an asthmatic too, but banning smoking is pretty extreme and it irritates me when people are deprived of the right to choose to do something.

If people wanna smoke near their own kids in their car, then let them.

[AlonzoMourning23]

Being an asthmatic I think smoking should be banned period, especially in the presence of children.


Don't get me wrong, smoking is a nasty habit and I'm an asthmatic too, but banning smoking is pretty extreme and it irritates me when people are deprived of the right to choose to do something.

If people wanna smoke near their own kids in their car, then let them.


But the kids then lose the right to avoid a significant risk to their long term health.

[micfranklin]

Being an asthmatic I think smoking should be banned period, especially in the presence of children.


Don't get me wrong, smoking is a nasty habit and I'm an asthmatic too, but banning smoking is pretty extreme and it irritates me when people are deprived of the right to choose to do something.

If people wanna smoke near their own kids in their car, then let them.


But the kids then lose the right to avoid a significant risk to their long term health.


That is true, but for those people who this in their own homes then we have no right to tell them what to do or how to live.

[Oedipus Rex]

Being an asthmatic I think smoking should be banned period, especially in the presence of children.


Don't get me wrong, smoking is a nasty habit and I'm an asthmatic too, but banning smoking is pretty extreme and it irritates me when people are deprived of the right to choose to do something.

If people wanna smoke near their own kids in their car, then let them.


But the kids then lose the right to avoid a significant risk to their long term health.


That is true, but for those people who this in their own homes then we have no right to tell them what to do or how to live.


Del Mar, Ca. is a place where smoking in public is illegal. They've even gone so far as to try to prohibit smoking in one's own car.

That's a little extreme.

[micfranklin]

Being an asthmatic I think smoking should be banned period, especially in the presence of children.


Don't get me wrong, smoking is a nasty habit and I'm an asthmatic too, but banning smoking is pretty extreme and it irritates me when people are deprived of the right to choose to do something.

If people wanna smoke near their own kids in their car, then let them.


But the kids then lose the right to avoid a significant risk to their long term health.


That is true, but for those people who this in their own homes then we have no right to tell them what to do or how to live.


Del Mar, Ca. is a place where smoking in public is illegal. They've even gone so far as to try to prohibit smoking in one's own car.

That's a little extreme.


A little extreme? Try retarded.

[Flea_Bit_Monkey]

I think smoking children is just completely wrong.

[AlonzoMourning23]

Being an asthmatic I think smoking should be banned period, especially in the presence of children.


Don't get me wrong, smoking is a nasty habit and I'm an asthmatic too, but banning smoking is pretty extreme and it irritates me when people are deprived of the right to choose to do something.

If people wanna smoke near their own kids in their car, then let them.


That's true when it's not affecting others.

But the kids then lose the right to avoid a significant risk to their long term health.


That is true, but for those people who this in their own homes then we have no right to tell them what to do or how to live.

[Flea_Bit_Monkey]

Actually it's more than just smoking, infant mortality is higher among minorities, shouldn't we either prevent minorities from having children, or reloacate these at risk kids to safer homes?

[MAP2010.wireless]

People should care about the kids rights and how unfair it is for them to be harmed.

[Flea_Bit_Monkey]

People should care about the kids rights and how unfair it is for them to be harmed.


You are right, abortion should be outlawed.

[micfranklin]

People should care about the kids rights and how unfair it is for them to be harmed.


You are right, abortion should be outlawed.


Uh, hold on there, where ya going with that?

[Flea_Bit_Monkey]

People should care about the kids rights and how unfair it is for them to be harmed.


You are right, abortion should be outlawed.


Uh, hold on there, where ya going with that?


People should care about the kids rights and how unfair it is for them to be harmed. It's self evident that abortion kills kids.

[micfranklin]

People should care about the kids rights and how unfair it is for them to be harmed.


You are right, abortion should be outlawed.


Uh, hold on there, where ya going with that?


People should care about the kids rights and how unfair it is for them to be harmed. It's self evident that abortion kills kids.


What if the mother was seriously ill and an abortion was the only way to save the mother?

[Flea_Bit_Monkey]

What if the mother was seriously ill and an abortion was the only way to save the mother?


I guess in that unlikely scenario it depends on if you value life more when it is more mature (having more immediate value to society) or when it is young Having more potential).

[micfranklin]

What if the mother was seriously ill and an abortion was the only way to save the mother?


I guess in that unlikely scenario it depends on if you value life more when it is more mature (having more immediate value to society) or when it is young Having more potential).


But technically, at a certain time the kid is still a fetus inside the womb, and it is possible for both the mother and the child to die in that scenario.

[Flea_Bit_Monkey]

What if the mother was seriously ill and an abortion was the only way to save the mother?


I guess in that unlikely scenario it depends on if you value life more when it is more mature (having more immediate value to society) or when it is young Having more potential).


But technically, at a certain time the kid is still a fetus inside the womb, and it is possible for both the mother and the child to die in that scenario.


True, so if that is the scenario you are presenting then say so.

[micfranklin]

What if the mother was seriously ill and an abortion was the only way to save the mother?


I guess in that unlikely scenario it depends on if you value life more when it is more mature (having more immediate value to society) or when it is young Having more potential).


But technically, at a certain time the kid is still a fetus inside the womb, and it is possible for both the mother and the child to die in that scenario.


True, so if that is the scenario you are presenting then say so.


1. That is the scenario I was referring to.

2. We're off topic.

Lets get this thread back on topic.Â*Â*If you wish to start a thread about abortion please do so. Thanks for the nudge in the right direction Mic.