Smokers banned from fostering - POLL ADDED

[nazmomi]

I'm not a smoker but don't agree with this law. To me, it's the thin end of the wedge. Who else should we ban? Those who have a drink on a weekend? Or who eat pizza and chips more than once a week? Illegal drug use aside, the state should put some onus on the parents to be responsible about their habits.

There are so many children who'd benefit from foster care, it sucks if this means that's denied them. A home where the parent is loving, caring and has a quick fag outside the back door has got to be preferable to a cold care home hasn't it?

i completely agree !

 

[charlie84]

Well i can understand the whole issue of passive smoking and all that, but maybe this is going a little too far. There are children who need a loving home and to be denied this because of lack of foster carers due to this new rule is a bit and

I am an ex smoker and never smoked around children and understood that it lingered on me and my clothes for ages afterwards so always beared this in mind with regards to being around children. So i should imagine the majority of foster carers to have the same thinking.

Thankfully i have now quit and i do think that it should be encouraged not to smoke if you are a foster carer, maybe in the application process they go through it would favour them more to be a non smoker therefore having a good incentive to quit.

 

[HollyHobby]

It should be foster carers should be educated as to why its best they give up smoking.

 

[LilysMummy]

I'm not a smoker but don't agree with this law. To me, it's the thin end of the wedge. Who else should we ban? Those who have a drink on a weekend? Or who eat pizza and chips more than once a week? Illegal drug use aside, the state should put some onus on the parents to be responsible about their habits.

There are so many children who'd benefit from foster care, it sucks if this means that's denied them. A home where the parent is loving, caring and has a quick fag outside the back door has got to be preferable to a cold care home hasn't it?

 

[Vicki83]

It's already be said but there are soo many children who deserve a loving, caring home and there are people willing to give them a home but they can't because they are smokers?! It's bloody crazy!

I think it's madness to be perfectly honest - for example fair there are rigorous checks, etc on people who want to foster, but there are a rare few who can then go on and abuse their foster children but yet people who smoke aren't even given the chance to actually be good foster parents.

 

[SarahH]

im very anti smoking so i agree with it. It also p*sses me off to think that people on benefits smoke as i feel tax payers are funding their filthy habit.

I'm pleased someone else said it as i daren't! Lol I don't understand smoking and why people want to do that to themselves. I've seen kids that have been around smokers that have been in and out of the doctors with bronchitis 3 or 4 times within the 1st 6 months of their life!

2 of them were my nephews! All 4 have had bronchitis in their lives!

I was ing because you agreed!

 

[Misslarue]

i agree to be honest even if people smoke outside the smell lingers on them

Not only that but research has shown that children have nicotine in their body even if parents smoke outside.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3476743.stm
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... -baby.html
Which is maybe why a complete ban has been enforced. Also I guess it would be hard to police a house ban.


Not sure if I agree with the ban though I can see it from both sides.
Obviously as far as smoking in a house where children live I personally think that should be banned full stop. I grew up in a house where both my parents smoked...........it was disgusting, not to mention very unhealthy for 3 young children trying to grow. There would literally be a cloud of smoke hovering in our living room

 

[hennaly]

I guess it depends on your view of smoking, in my opinion smoking round children is a form of abuse, i know lots of you wont like that and will disagree but its how i feel and it makes me really angry.

 

[SarahH]

I guess it depends on your view of smoking, in my opinion smoking round children is a form of abuse, i know lots of you wont like that and will disagree but its how i feel and it makes me really angry.

Oh my word!!! I would hardly call it abuse, yes it is wrong and I am trying to stop - why I started again after stopping the whole way through pregnancy I have no idea.... but abuse!!!

I know how bad it is for you, cancer killed my mother (she wasnt a smoker, nor are any of my family just to add), but abuse

 

[hennaly]

Can i just say i understand it is hard for smokers to suddenly give up when having children but do you not think that forcing a child to take dirty second hand smoke into their lungs which we know can cause cancer and other illness is wrong, we arnt allowed to smack a child as it is abuse but we can force it to passive smoke

 

[Suzie and Faith]

I'm not a smoker but don't agree with this law. To me, it's the thin end of the wedge. Who else should we ban? Those who have a drink on a weekend? Or who eat pizza and chips more than once a week? Illegal drug use aside, the state should put some onus on the parents to be responsible about their habits.

There are so many children who'd benefit from foster care, it sucks if this means that's denied them. A home where the parent is loving, caring and has a quick fag outside the back door has got to be preferable to a cold care home hasn't it?

 

[LilysMummy]

Its hardly abuse now is it!

I have a fag when Lily is in bed, I come in wash my hands and get in to my PJs. I dont go and pick her up and breath in her face. If she wakes up when Ive just come in the OH will go see to her.

If it was the choice between some poor kid bouncing from care home to care home or a loving adult who has a fag outside when the baby is in bed it isnt really a hard choice now...

 

[SarahH]

In all honesty, I didnt find it hard to quit at all when I found out I was pregnant, chucked the packet and never even wanted one while I was pregnant and didnt have one until Arianna was about 1yr old as I went out with friends and had too much Vodka - I even now only have 2-3 ciggies a day - a pack of 20 can last me over a week.

I am just that you can compare smoking to beating a child!

 

[fran_23]

I think it depends on how they smoke, if they want to smoke in their house then its not a suitable resididence for children, its nothing to do with saying they are bad people but a smoky house just isnt appropriate for kiddies. I am a smoker, i have never and never would smoke in the same house as Hayden, i gave up smoking for my whole pregnancy and started again 2 months later..i smoke outside a few when he has gone to bed and sometimes in the day if i am feeling the need. Does that mean i should have Hayden taken off me? or that i am a bad mum? i don't see how they could stop people who smoke from fostering surely they would have to take all the kids off parents who smoke and put them in care with non smokers aswell?
Its a bit silly that you could not foster a child but that you could have your own child and chain smoke 24/7.

 

[hennaly]

I personally am talking about people who smoke AROUND children.

 

[SarahH]

I personally am talking about people who smoke AROUND children.

So you have agreed with everything that has been said then, that outside would be ok.... we said that from the beginning the foster carers smoked in a sensible way not around the kiddiewinkles!

 

[hennaly]

I personally am talking about people who smoke AROUND children.

So you have agreed with everything that has been said then, that outside would be ok.... we said that from the beginning the foster carers smoked in a sensible way not around the kiddiewinkles!

urm yes, i guess i kinda went off on one without being clear about what i meant

 

[fran_23]

Yes i do think that smoking around children is wrong, I wouldnt do that and i didn't think there were many people who would..remember that pramface programme? where it was talking about teen pregnancy but they showed the worst horrible chavs and misrepresented teen mums completely?? well there was a shocking scene where there were two sisters who gave birth a few days apart sitting in the living room with there newborns in there laps..smoking away!! that made me feel sick! Hopefully most people who go into fostering do it out fo there love for children and wouldnt dream of smoking around them!!

 

[lfc_sarah]

I think that's a bit far...I think anyone who would be even thinking about fostering in the first place would at least have wit enough to smoke well away from children,eg outside...I think this is demonising smokers a bit too much tbh...i mean what next,ban them from becomign parents?

I agree with this too

Both me and Oh dont smoke and we have 1 mate who does, who smokes outside and we dont let him touch Callum with his ciggy fingers

Are they going to ban people fostering who have mates who smoke

 

[nori]

im very anti smoking so i agree with it. It also p*sses me off to think that people on benefits smoke as i feel tax payers are funding their filthy habit.

Slightly off topic but i agree! (and thats from a filthy ex-smoker!) I still think the government should ban it but that will never happen as they gain far too much money from the tax.. then again, maybe they lose that from the amount the NHS have to pay out for smoking related illnesses.. ive gone right off topic.. sorry!

I do personally believe that it should be illegal to smoke around your children in the house though. I know it could never been enforced but in my opinion its just damn right wrong!

Claire x