Should smoking at home with kids be considered abuse?

[shortnugly]

I am normally pretty supportive of less government control and intervention unless necessary. I don't think smoking should be outlawed or anything, my only problem comes when it affects others besides the smoker. People are free to do what they will with their own bodies, but not necessarily free to do what they will with others. That being said...

Most of us should be able to agree that when a child is being beaten and bruised by the parents, even though the bruises go away quickly and it's temporary, it's still child abuse. But what about the damage done to a child by secondhand smoke? That damage can last many years and in some cases, can be fatal.

Should we treat smoking around your child as another form of abuse?

your question is counter intuitive to your claim of less government...

[Deleted]

Second-hand smoking is pretty nasty to the lungs. I'm not sure about abuse. I'd file it somewhere in the realm of the woman trying to feed her baby ground up hamburgers, and the family refusing their child medication in favor of prayer. Parental negligence.

Can a woman be charged with anything for drinking and smoking during pregnancy? Somewhat related, and I'm curious.

I don't think so, even though it's bad for the fetus it's still her body and nobody can tell you what you can and can't do with your body

[Tzalix]

Depends on how often you feed them McDonalds. Every now and then won't hurt. Every day however is bad.

Well, it depends on how often you smoke around them as well. Every now and then won't hurt.

[Raptor With a Saber]

Then coughing at home is abuse. Burning food is abuse.

Smoking at home isn't abuse.

[Seegtease]

Why do we need the Government to regular every damn thing? The more power we give them the less we have for ourselves. The loss of liberty in this country since its inception is absolutely astounding and yet people would actually choose to give up more? I agree smoking in front of children....or anyone for that matter is a health risk...but to take kids away from their parents for just that? Just because you don't like it doesn't give you the right to force them to live a certain way. If anything these people need extra help in order to quit smoking....but then again, with the amount of money the government makes on tobacco sales I really doubt they would ever think about it.... it would affect their bottom line.

Liberty? You're making this a liberty issue? No one has the liberty to harm another person. No one is forcing a parent to live a certain way - the entire concept is to protect children who cannot protect themselves. They're stuck in that house with that smoke. They don't have a voice on this issue. The government SHOULD be defending those who are victims and have no voice.

The war on smokers continues. I feel like it's going to turn into the crusades or a witch hunt every month I see something else against smokers.

I'm not sure what this has to do with the topic. So I take it that you find it totally okay for parents to essentially force children to inhale cigarette smoke? Because it happens.

I think telling other people how to parent should be a felony. And no, I'm not a smoker.

I think it's bad parenting to stab your children. Arrest me.

your question is counter intuitive to your claim of less government...

Care to elaborate? Government has a purpose, and they just need to stick to it.

Well, it depends on how often you smoke around them as well. Every now and then won't hurt.

Every now and then isn't really an option. Either people do it all the time, or they don't do it at all. Everyone I know has rules about smoking indoors. Either they allow it, or don't allow it... never heard of allowing it a couple times a week.

[Waynhim]

In 2013, yes.

[AeneasBK]

Technically speaking, there is no scientific evidence to support the assertion that secondhand smoke is harmful. The only study conducted was debunked when it was discovered the head of the project was accepting kickbacks and had an agenda.

This.

[Deleted]

being a man whose parents, especially my goddamn father, used to chain smoke 24/7 around me I absolutely have to say yes.

[ghostkitteh]

I've been around secondhand smoke my entire life. My grandmother alone smokes 2 packs a day. I'm curious as to how my lungs would be if I hadn't.

That said, I don't know if I'd go so far as to call it abuse. It sucks, sure, and it's endangerment, but I'd rather take five more lifetimes of secondhand smoke than the physical/mental abuse I did go through.