Matter of opinion really, I think it's wrong and would never smoke around children (back when I did smoke), but other people think differently.

I'm always astonished at the amount of women who still think it's okay to smoke whilst pregnant!

MTFU and do it, stop greeting on here a about what you would like to do.

Not a parent so I guess I'm not qualified to comment on this but I'd say it's clearly in the wrong box. just another illustration of how people just don't engage their brains or have any awareness of the world around them. we're to blame though for evolving a society where people can get by without ever having to put their brains in gear. use it or lose it. too many people have taken the second option.

Its sliding scale of right and wrong really so you won't get two people (who smoke) who'll agree who you should smoke amongst. Is it better that the woman smokes in the playground instead of in the car with her kids on the way to the playground? One of the consequences of the smoking in public buildings legislation is that its made smoking indoors at all, even ones own home, pretty taboo, so by result outdoors anywhere is the lesser evil.

If you have kids its doesn't make that much difference that you smoke near them or not, partly because you end up with a lot of the constituents of the smoke on your skin and clothes and kids are very huggy, partly because kids who take up smoking are often the children of parents who smoke (even parents who try to hide their smoking from their children), and that is a much more tangible effect than anything passive

But if you don't smoke near children why smoke near anyone or anything? So why smoke at all - unless you are fundamentally unhappy. If you are fundimentally unhappy, who give a flyer what some random in a playground thinks

One of my friends went out with a teacher who used to smoke weed while on playground duty - the school found it unacceptable. Only suspended her for a while for it though.

We thought it was funny at the time, but now I'm all grown up I can see what a tw[s]a[/s]it she was.

Much preferable to the nitwits that bring their dogs into the playground.

Playgrounds are outside right?

Much preferable to the nitwits that bring their dogs into the playground.

Is it? A dog could be perfectly harmless cig smoke is always harmful. I think both are wrong but what do you do? Say anything and no doubt you'll get a mouthful, unless your willing to slap the person you might just as well leave.

Playgrounds are outside right?

Yep, but (what mccruiskeen says really), the smoking ban has made those who don't like smoke/smoking even more conscious of the smell of it. Even smokers realise how cigarette smoke smells now that pubs/restaurants/bookies haven't got a permanent haze of it inside.

Exposing your kids to cigarette smoke isn't a great idea, though given how many of us grew up being exposed to it and are "fine", maybe the dangers are overplayed, and anyway, as we all know, statistics don't matter when it comes to the safety and well-being of our kids. 🙂 I'd hazard that exposing them to the sight of you smoking would seem to normalise it and even though they're "not allowed" to smoke, they may feel that it's something that they'll be able to do when they're older. I know it normalised it for me to see my dad and all his mates puffing away. Without exception, every single one of my peers had a go at smoking - some of us toughed it out and got hooked. Some of us saw sense and never took it up.

If you smoke outside in a playground, let's face it someone is going to get a whiff of your exhaled smoke. Chances are, despite that one whiff not really amounting to any harm, he or she is not going to enjoy it. So why would you want to do it. Just leave your child inside, go and stand downwind of the playground and have your fag if you're that desperate. Smoking in a playground doesn't make you an evil person, but it shows that you don't particularly care too much for the feelings of others.

geetee1972 - Member
Is it acceptable for parents to smoke in kids playgrouns?

No.

It is prohibited at my girls' school.

As a smoker i wouldn't light up around kids.just in case they tried to tap me up for one.
On a related theme the decision in Australia, to make all cig packs a standard colour and have a prominant pictures of smoking related diseases.great idea,but will it work?

This thread is comedy gold.

Definitely acceptable. It'll toughen your kids up. Character building stuff. Its not going to do them any harm.

in aus and this is our "local" (actually quite big area) council

YOUR SAY: Boroondara passes state's toughest anti-smoking laws
Council

28 Aug 12 @ 10:00am by Greg Gliddon
BOROONDARA councillors unanimously passed the state's toughest anti-smoking laws in an historic vote last night.

As reported in the Progress Leader on August 21, the new laws mean, as of today, smoking is prohibited within 10m of children's playground's, barbecues and picnic tables and illegal within 5m of an entrance to a municipal building, taxi rank or public transport stop.

do people take any notice? sort of - at playground yesterday morning a mum went off to the bench by the basketball court to light up..
tram and bus stops - well i wait for youngest who rides to school by a tram stop and people seem to want their fix before getting on the smoke free tram
my uk experience in sheffield
ice sheffied - big signs outside by kids queue - please do not smoke totally ignored
outside childrens hospital - big signs - kids will copy - totally ignored
school playground - no - adjacent path - smokers yes

actually all it takes is foot in front of other for about 3 minutes away from playground / entrance
i worked in offices that were full of smoke and would like my kids not to be exposed to it

edit - yes cigs are in plain packs

great idea,but will it work?

It will to new smokers when you go past chocolate you notice all the shiny wrappers I imagine the same is true for cigarettes, it should be a paid for prescription only drug.

Prescription drug? What exactly would be the medical basis for prescribing cigarettes, as oppose to things to help you stop for example? Will chemists be dispensing them?

Make them harder to buy, plain packaging and not on display. Increase the tax. Massive fines for selling to underage. But prescribing them defies logic.

Make them harder to buy, plain packaging and not on display. Increase the tax. Massive fines for selling to underage. But prescribing them defies logic.

Apart from the fines for selling to under-age, the rest is just nannying, folks can do what the hell they like with their own money and health in the case of smoking as far as I'm concerned.
Same with booze etc.

folks can do what the hell they like with their own money and health in the case of smoking as far as I'm concerned

Prescription drug? What exactly would be the medical basis for prescribing cigarettes, as oppose to things to help you stop for example? Will chemists be dispensing them?

folks can do what the hell they like with their own money and health in the case of smoking as far as I'm concerned

in the cases of both smoking and drinking though it isn't just their own health that's being affected is it? Also health conditions caused by enjoying both these pastimes [b]affect all tax-payers financially[/b].

I remember a story about this on BBC Breakfast about 5 years ago and the story seemed to indicate otherwise.

The story was about the effects on the economy of banning smoking altogether. If the government banned smoking it would cost us more as taxpayers and from memory they said that smokers paid significant amounts of tax, which helps top up the governments coffers. Yes they do cost more in health care but these health care costs tend to be short term. The government also benefit as smokers tend to die earlier and therefore the government pay less out in pension payments.

The story basically mentioned that if smoking was banned,everybody would end up paying more tax. The tax income from cigarettes would dry up immediately but it would take 50 years for all smoking related illnesses to reduce/disappear.

Prescription drug? What exactly would be the medical basis for prescribing cigarettes, as oppose to things to help you stop for example? Will chemists be dispensing them?

My Dad use to work on the old TB wards, they prescribed Benson and Hedges back then to help remove the phlegm. Of course they no longer have isolated wards in the middle of the countryside for people with TB, never mind treating them with cigs.

Yes they do cost more in health care but these health care costs tend to be short term.

Really which ones then?

There are plenty of playgrounds near me that have a constant whiff of pot smoke never mind tab smoke, maybe a cadre of grim faced diversity trained smoke rangers should be deployed, route em out and thrash em publicly.

I am trying to kick the habit at the moment, slipped back into it through some troubling times.

I wouldn't smoke near anyone, when I am I make a point of standing away from people.
Its my choice to smoke and wouldn't inflict it on others.

That being said, I wouldn't mind if anyone else was. You make your own choices on what you think is acceptable, I'm not in the position to judge that.

eta

There are plenty of playgrounds near me that have a constant whiff of pot smoke never mind tab smoke, maybe a cadre of grim faced diversity trained smoke rangers should be deployed, route em out and thrash em publicly.

That is a very narrow minded opinion... I am in regular contact with hundreds of people who gain huge medical benefits from smoking green. How can a plant be illegal 😉

💡 The kiddies heads are a good height for an ash tray though.

making ciggie packs uninteresting is stupid. just ban tobacco. totally. make it illegal. sure people will grumble for about 6 months but **** 'em its for the best we all know that. i smoke by the way and even though i keep giving up it always gets me again. just ban it

Has anyone got any science to back up this perceived risk to children who are outside, with small periods of exposure?

Is the cancer risk statistically significant over that from the general levels of air pollution in this country?

Or is this just a love-in?

I had teachers who went around in a constant haze of pipe smoke, including during lessons.

Never did me any harm... kids these days... nanny state... bring back national service... yaddayaddayadda.

😉

Has anyone got any science to back up this perceived risk to children who are outside, with small periods of exposure?

Yes, I'm sure somebody has. Try quoting them to a non-smoking parent as a puff of your (figuratively, not literally) exhaled smoke passes around his or her kid. I'm sure it'll go down well. 🙂

Prescription drug? What exactly would be the medical basis for prescribing cigarettes, as oppose to things to help you stop for example? Will chemists be dispensing them?

Make them harder to buy, plain packaging and not on display. Increase the tax. Massive fines for selling to underage. But prescribing them defies logic.

In a similar vein that skag heads are supplied methadone, just smokers would have to pay for their drug. I think it would cut smoking considerably as people just wouldn't go get the prescription. The medical basis being drug addiction. Increasing tax does not work as can be seen now.

Increasing tax does not work as can be seen now.

[img] [/img]

I think it would cut smoking considerably

And increase smuggled cheap evil counterfeit ciggies from the Far East. And massively decrease tax receipts. I dunno what the balance of what revenue it generates versus the cost of treating smoking related disease is though...

Increasing tax does not work as can be seen now.

You mean with tax on cigarettes increasing all the time, and the number of smokers consistently decreasing ?

(Edit- bit too slow, nice graph above to illustrate my point, before I made it 😉 )

So do you think its the main concern of smokers, I don't know any as in zero smokers who have said I'm packing up its too expensive. People who I know that try and stop do so for health benefits not monetary, they moan about the cost but keep buying them!

Your friends are a very small focus group.

That's known as Anecdotal evidence. But the simple fact is that as tax on cigarettes has risen, the number of smokers has dropped (the percentage of the population that smoke has dropped)

There may be other factors, but you simply cannot say with any factual accuracy that raising the tax doesn't work.

for another piece of useless anecdotal evidence, I gave up 3 1/2 years ago, because I couldn't afford it anymore 😉

Smoking outdoors I'd say is probably no worse than driving. Driving certainly kills a lot more kids, and that's without considering the toxins it produces.

Scuzz I don't think the issue for me was the exposure to the smoke more the exposure to someone smoking. It's such a mind dumbingly moronic habit that I just don't even want my kids seeing other people smoke much like I would not want them seeing other people drunk.

The effects on children in small enclosed spaces like cars has been shown to be very bad though.

I'm amazed its not a no smoking site. Or site with a deignated outside smoking area

On the cost front...

the story I heard was that the NHS spends more on smokers but that this is paid for out of the extra tax they pay

But the huge saving to the goverment is on pensions as they die so much younger

Surely the biggest problem of parents & teachers smoking in the playground is having to share their ciggues with kids?

funny - seems that it's more socially acceptable these days to be a druggie rather than a smoker (which if my memory serves me correctly is still legal). Kids seeing (not talking about them being exposed to smoke in a confined space) someone smoking is pretty low down on the list of undesirable things for them to be exposed to - idiot drivers, idiots spitting in the street, self righteous w*****s on bikes, jakies drinking buckie, charity muggers, religeous nutters, obese school run mums, smelly people - where do we stop? - we all need to live together and that takes all types - stop trying to impose your views and opinions on others who don't give a sh1t!

who don't give a sh1t!

How would the smoke from a cigarette compare to the emissions from an average family car? I suspect the later is actually more harmful, so the idea that someone smoking outdoors is a danger is quite silly.

If you can't teach your children that people often do stupid things for a whole host of reasons, and to have a little perspective, then they are going to have bigger problems than exposure to the occasional outdoors smoker.

[b]It's such a mind dumbingly moronic habit[/b] that I just don't even want my kids seeing other people smoke much like I would not want them seeing other people drunk.

Smoking around kids is wrong for a number of reasons.
1) Passive smoking is unlikely to be good for them.
2) By seeing adults smoking it makes it more acceptable in the childrens eyes.

Thats why my child has never seen me smoke (although I have stopped now) and i get pissy when his step brothers smoke outside and he can see them. I dont want him to smoke, nor do I want him to think its acceptable / cool.
It angers me to see parents pushing kids in prams smoking, or driving a car with kids in it, smoking with their window down. Morons.

how many non-smokers on here drink alcohol either in front of their kids or their kids are aware that mummy and daddy drink alcohol?

i get pissy when his step brothers smoke outside and he can see them. [b]I dont want him to smoke, nor do I want him to think its acceptable / cool[/b].

I was in a small, crowded nightclub on Friday for the first time since the smoking ban.

I can only hope Department of Health mandarins are hard at work preparing the farting ban. Jesus Christ.

Irrespective of the potential threat to health, people who smoke in front of kids in the way the OP describes simply lack a bit of respect for those kids. Pretty common. I think its in the same ballpark as not waiting for the green man at pedestrian crossings while kids wait. I've politely asked people to refrain from smoking in playparks many times. Most seem unaware and are apologetic.

how many non-smokers on here drink alcohol either in front of their kids or their kids are aware that mummy and daddy drink alcohol?

Not quite the same. Can you become an alcoholic by passive drinking?

I doubt there are any parents brave enough to stand in the school playground drinking a 6-pack of lager or swigging whisky from a bottle ...

can you become a smoker by passive smoking?

watching parents drink isn't much different from watching parents smoke in my humble opinion.

i'm not defending smokers, i'm just making a comparison 🙂

This place does get a bit mumsnet sometimes.

Why not take the oportunity to show your kids the 'stinky people sucking on death sticks' and explain why it's so bad?

Your can't hide things from kids, so educate them before someone else does.

watching parents drink isn't much different from watching parents smoke in my humble opinion.

funny - seems that it's more socially acceptable these days to be a druggie rather than a smoker (which if my memory serves me correctly is still legal)

You will have to explain that one to me I'm afraid, because it sounds a bit like bollx ?

I haven't told my son yet that smoking is mind dumbingly moronic because he is three and I doubt he would understand. I have told him its poisonous and it kills people but even then I don't think he quite understands what that means.

What I do know he has understood is that he's seen someone doing it and he is curious as to what it is. That he saw it in a playground is causing more problems because now he associates it with the playground, a place where he goes to have fun. Of course I can't prevent him from seeing it elsewhere but you'd think the playground would be the one place where I wouldn't have to worry about it.

It really does come down to a lack of common sense or a lack of consideration for others, which as someone above pointed out, seems to sum up a lot of smokers' attitude.

What I do know he has understood is that he's seen someone doing it and he is curious as to what it is.

That's all good

That he saw it in a playground is causing more problems because now he associates it with the playground, a place where he goes to have fun.

Only really if he never sees it anywhere else

It's not someone elses 'choice' to smoke near my kids.

It's not someone elses 'choice' to smoke near my kids.

Quite!

Greasy pies are unhealthy too - will we soon be stopping our kids watch someone eat "unhealthy" food just in case they want to eat a pie when their older.
is it acceptable to eat a kebab in a kids playground?

It's not someone elses 'choice' to smoke near my kids.

How about if I don't want you driving near my kids - I see that point has been heavilly ignored in this thread? Or even cycling near them - don't want any accidents do we? Hell, I might not even want you near my kids full stop. Can't be too careful with all these pedo's around.

Of course it's their choice.

It's not someone elses 'choice' to smoke near my kids.

I agree with the principle.

But sadly, the reality is that in a public place, outdoors, then it actually is their choice.
You can obviously choose to move. But they have every right to smoke outdoors in public places (unless its an area where it's not allowed obviously)

It's all [i]OK[/i]. Smoking exists. Just keep educating your kids about the smelly morons in an non-judgemental way. That way, when your more-grown-up kid sees some people smoking (because Mum or Dad haven't managed to change the entire world to prevent their children from ever witnessing anything bad) they'll know that it's moronic. You'll have taught them [i]why[/i] it's moronic, and they'll be part of the large (and increasing) proportion of people who have never smoked. No indignation required.

If, however, they're blowing smoke on your kids, fetch your bombers.

There are a lot of comparisons here with other potentially harmful activities like driving a car. Firstly, driving a car is necessary to our way of life, at least until we find a suitable alternative, smoking is not. Secondly no one is arguing for a ban on smoking in all outdoor public places (although I would be in favour of that, I mean why not, what is the downside?); I originally asked if it was unreasonable to do it in a children's playground.

There are a lot of comparisons here with other potentially harmful activities like driving a car. Firstly, driving a car is necessary to our way of life, at least until we find a suitable alternative...

Walking. Cycling...

Most journeys can be done without a car. Most of us (including myself) choose to take it anyway.

Secondly no one is arguing for a ban on smoking in all outdoor public places (although I would be in favour of that, I mean why not, what is the downside?); I originally asked if it was unreasonable to do it in a children's playground.

It's not entirely unreasonable not to. It's just smokers are regarded much in the same way as cyclists; with a hint of vitriol. Which I personally find unreasonable.

a ban on smoking in all outdoor public places (although I would be in favour of that, I mean why not, what is the downside?)

The downside is that you would be imposing your view on someone else - whether you agree with smoking or not it's not really up to you to decide that someone cant do something outside (where there is no risk of passive smoking unlike indoors) just because you don't agree with it. thats unreasonable.

live and let live

Glad i dont have children.

Threads like this make me sad, do people become simpering, pathetic, worriers when they find out they are expecting a child?....or were they like that beforehand?

Smoking outside?....fine, if you have a problem with it i presume you put a mask/filter on your child's face when walking them along any road as the amount of carcinogenic shite they must inhale from all the vehicles is bad for them too right?!

Smoking has become one of those things (like speeding seems to be headed) that has become socially acceptable to demonise and pass judgement on....persoanlly i find it far more disturbing when i see a fat child whose parents are still shovelling food into its fat unhealthy face.

If we're allowed to chastise smokers can we know shout 'encouragement' at porkers to lose some weight?

deviant, the original post was about smoking IN a school playground.
This is NOT acceptable nor is it allowed. Outside in the street, fine. Outside a pub fine.
Yes smokers are being unfairly demonised, but its a pretty big moron who smokes with kids in the car, or pushes a pram smoking a fag surely?

smoking is almost unique in that it affects others indiscriminately, where as eating food, consuming alcohol , and virtually all other drugs is the recipients choice.
School playgrounds are for kids, smoking can be done elsewhere, its possible to go without the 'fix' for a short while is it not ??

I don't smoke and never have and tbh wasn't that bothered for all the anti-smoking laws, as decent places had already segregated and/or had decent a/c.

But I am sick of the 'powers-that-be' (and the rest of you nannies') constantly telling folk what they can and can't do, and on that basis - she's smoking outside FFS, leave her alone.

[i]
School playgrounds are for kids, smoking can be done elsewhere, its possible to go without the 'fix' for a short while is it not ?? [/i]

And the OP said 'playground', not 'school playground'.

why can't smokers wear a smoking helmet, to ensure maximum efficiency and minimum harm to others --

Rudebwoy...why cant fatties wear a burka so i dont have to see their unsightly flesh?

FFS live and let live people.

deviant-- while it may be unpleasant to look upon some people, it will never ever harm your or anyone elses health-- i take it you are aware of carcinogens and how they attach to clothing etc ??-- it is a shite drug, that doesn't even give you any 'high'-- it is negative in every way !!

why not train your kids to spit at cigarettes?

What's so bad with imposing our views on other people? We do it all the time. Here are some examples where we do:

Drink driving
ABH
GBH
Sex with a minor
Burglary

Etc etc. you're free to smoke wherever you like as long as you don't expose anyone else to your cancer causing smoke. Fortunately it seems the tide of public opinion is finally getting over its moral foibles and I wouldn't be surprised to see cigarettes banned in ten years time.

As for whether we child birth turns us into wimpering whatevers, I refer you to your earlier comment. You clearly don't have kids do you.

deviant, the original post was about smoking IN a school playground.

No it wasn't 🙄

Thread reading fail.

Clearly I'm not perfect like you are Neil.
But my points are still valid regardless. Barring the comment about it not being allowed.

http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/pressarchive/index.aspx?articleid=16481

Clearly I'm not perfect like you are Neil.

Don't have a pop at me, it's not my fault you didn't read it properly.

Perhaps if you'd made your point a little more politely I wouldn't have had to have "a pop". Oh and if that's having a pop, I shudder to think how you'd react if someone really went for you.
If you can't stand the heat etc...

🙄

Clearly you don't like being wrong.

Does anyone?
As I said, my points are still valid, EVEN THOUGH I WAS VERY VERY VERY WRONG. FOR THAT I MUST UNRESERVEDLY APOLOGISE AND THANK YOU NEALGLOVER FOR POINTING OUT MY ERROR. I'll be putting up my son for adoption in the morning so he will never know the shame of his father being wrong on STW.

Careful, he'll be pointing out you've spelled his name incorrectly next.