Is smoking in a home with children abusive?

[memphis]

I think so.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

No.

[Gabu]

hurrr no the kids can just find another home if they don't like one that allows smoking

[Alcon]

No.

How's that?  Is it good for their T-zone, or something?

[adam]

No. Silly question.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Its not the state's business to deal with things like this.

[Gabu]

No. Silly question.

Giving your children multiple resperatory ailments and lung cancer is not abuse?

[Joe Republic]

Its not the state's business to deal with things like this.

Who involved the state in this philosophical question?

[adam]

No. Silly question.

Giving your children multiple resperatory ailments and lung cancer is not abuse?

Both of my parents smoked around me, their parents smoked around them, as did their parent's parents. None of us have had serious reperatory ailments as a result of this.

Paint fumes can kill brain cells, would painting the house with your children around also be considered abuse?

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Its not the state's business to deal with things like this.

Who involved the state in this philosophical question?

The OP.

[JSojourner]

No. Silly question.

Giving your children multiple resperatory ailments and lung cancer is not abuse?

Both of my parents smoked around me, their parents smoked around them, as did their parent's parents. None of us have had serious reperatory ailments as a result of this.

Paint fumes can kill brain cells, would painting the house with your children around also be considered abuse?

Well, it's purely anecdotal to say "I was raised around smoke and it didn't affect me".  Everyone has a different set of lungs.

However, you've made an outstanding point.  If not tobacco smoke, then paint thinner.  If not that, then pollution.  Or radon.  I grew up in a suburb of Pittsburgh in the 70's and my early youth was spent coughing up phlegm from all the coal-heated homes in the area.  I think even my school in Leetsdale was still coal heated. 

The question of how far government should go in protecting us is a noble one with honorable people on both sides.  I really see the sense in the liberal position on this.  But Libertarians are right to ask, "When will it end?  Where is the line drawn?" 

I can only say this.  The developing lungs of a fetus and then a child are often (not always) adversely impacted by exposure to second hand smoke.  Exposure to paint, paint thinner, carpet glue and other fumes can be bad, too.  But does this exposure take place for hours at a time, seven days a week?  I think that pretty much happens only with tobacco smoke.

[Gabu]

Both of my parents smoked around me, their parents smoked around them, as did their parent's parents. None of us have had serious reperatory ailments as a result of this.

There was a study I saw a while ago dealing with a sample of bartenders from somewhere (Minnesota?) that was poised to ban smoking in bars.  All of the bartenders were tested for resperatory ailments both before the ban and several months after the ban.  The finding was basically that almost every single bartender experienced a significant improvement in terms of their symptoms and problems.  The obvious conclusion to draw was that being around secondhand smoke is linked to resperatory ailments and that being away from it makes them go away.

I can dig up the study for you if you want.  It was very straightforward and basically with very little room for misinterpretation of the data, as far as I could see.

Paint fumes can kill brain cells, would painting the house with your children around also be considered abuse?

No, because that is not a continuous thing occurring day in and day out.  If the parents forced their children to huff paint fumes from a brown bag every single day, then yes, that would be abuse.

[Joe Republic]

Its not the state's business to deal with things like this.

Who involved the state in this philosophical question?

The OP.

Oh really?:

I think so.

Straha, you're really going to have to point it out for me.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Its not the state's business to deal with things like this.

Who involved the state in this philosophical question?

The OP.

Oh really?:

I think so.

Straha, you're really going to have to point it out for me.

There are laws against child abuse so he was implying that they shoudl be used against people who are smokers.

[Dr. Cynic]

SMALL CHILD: *Hack! Hack! Hack!* Save me!!!!!

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

yes

[True Democrat]

Yes.  My mom does it all the time and we have yelling matches.  She just can't control herself.  She put the Nicorette patch on for about five hours before tearing it off.

[John Dibble]

No, so long as you aren't intentionally blowing smoke in the kid's face or something like that. Doesn't mean I advise smoking around your kids though.

[David S]

I vote no, but if you vote yes do you think the government should remove children from their homes if the parents smoke?

[Padfoot]

If the child has a respiratory condition that is aggravated by smoking or develops a condition as a result of second hand smoke inhalation then yes that is abuse.  Its no different than spanking a hemophiliac or continually placing him in a situation in which he is likely to be badly bruised.

[Inverted Things]

Yes.

[Gabu]

I vote no, but if you vote yes do you think the government should remove children from their homes if the parents smoke?

I don't know about that, but I do feel that it's extremely irresponsible of parents to continue smoking a pack a day once they have children in the house.  It's not as if parents aren't expected to make all kinds of other lifestyle adjustments to accomodate the new child and to ensure his or her comfort and safety.  Unlike many other arguments that have been made in favor of allowing smoking elsewhere, the child can't very well just find another place to live if he or she doesn't like the smoke-filled rooms of his home.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I openly support kids stealing their parents' cigarettes and flushing them.

[YRABNNRM]

I openly support kids stealing their parents' cigarettes and smoking them.

[GOP = Terrorists]

Yep.  You wanna smoke step outside.