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Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lady Lurksalot who wrote (15605)	1/18/1998 4:29:00 PM
From: epicure	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 108807

No, I don't do any of those things (barbecues, incense, fireplace- they bother me too much). And yes, I think I should be able to go where I want (in public) and not be breathing smoke. Just my opinion. I am more conflicted by the private property rights of bar owners than I admitted in the debate, but that is because no issue is black and white, even though most people see issues that way. I could go on and on in an argument qualifying my positions, but it takes up too much time. Unrealistic? Yes. We live in an unfair world, I don't expect that to change. Hard to even decide what fair is. But we should damage each other as little as possible.

To: Lady Lurksalot who wrote (15605)	1/18/1998 5:31:00 PM
From: James R. Barrett	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 108807

>>"I think one would have to believe that a smoking environment is more harmful to a child's health and well being than foster care. Shockingly (at least to me), some parents actually have lost custodial rights because of their smoking. "<< Holly, I know some parents with teenagers who would start smoking in a minute if they thought the state would take the teenagers away. Dumb question: If the children start smoking at home and refuse to stop, should the state remove the parents from the home for the sake of their health? Jim

To: Lady Lurksalot who wrote (15605)	1/19/1998 9:11:00 AM
From: Grainne	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 108807

<I think one would have to believe that a smoking environment is more harmful to a child's health and well being than foster care.> Holly, you are probably right about a smoking environment being more harmful than foster care to a child. But what about parents who smoke NOT smoking around their children? In this discussion about smokers' "rights" (I think people have rights to smoke, but only where it harms NO ONE, because after that point they are infringing on the rights of others), does it occur to anyone that a parent can smoke, but go outside to do so? To me, the absurdity of the in-your-face smokers' arguments is most clearly apparent on this issue. There have been two brief periods of time since I became a parent, when I was under a lot of stress, that I smoked. I never would have even considered doing it around my child. I cannot even understand why a parent would ever smoke around a child, and the fact that there are numerous health problems caused by parental smoking is obvious, and does make it an abusive parenting practice. NO IFS, ANDS OR BUTTS - QUITTING SMOKING IS A GREAT GIFT TO GIVE YOUR CHILD From the desk of Peter A. Gorski, MD October is the American Academy of Pediatrics' Child Health Month. This year, the Academy is kicking off a three-year campaign focusing on substance abuse. Throughout the campaign, the Academy will concentrate on how to help people who care for children recover from substance abuse and on how to protect children from its harmful effects. For more information, visit the Academy's web site at www.aap.org. Peter A. Gorski, MD, MPA, is Executive Director of the Massachusetts Caring for Children Foundation and Director of Professional Education at the Brazelton Institute, both in Boston. Dr. Gorski is an Advisory Board member of the Pampers Parenting Institute and serves on the Executive Committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Section on Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. To celebrate the Academy's Child Health Month, he urges all parents, teachers and caregivers to stop smoking - if not for themselves, then for their children. Having a baby in the house stirs up overwhelming feelings of love and responsibility for parents. You want to give your baby the best of everything. If you're a smoker, one of the greatest gifts you can give your baby is to stop smoking. Most smokers already understand that quitting cigarettes is good for their own health. And even they would be horrified to think that their children smoke. But when you smoke, your child smokes, too. That's because researchers are finding that just being around tobacco smoke is harmful. Here are just a few reasons to make your child's life smoke-free: The best time to quit smoking is anytime at all. But quitting before your baby is born may be even better. Your baby's health begins even before you become pregnant. Non-smoking women have healthier babies. Studies show that women who smoke have a greater chance of having low-birthweight babies or babies with health problems. Smoking reduces blood flow from mother to baby, cutting off the baby's supply of oxygen and nutrients. Non-smoking women also generally feel better during pregnancy. Quitting smoking is one of the best ways to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) because smoke puts babies at risk for SIDS. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, is the leading cause of death in infants. Babies in smoking households are at least twice as likely to die of SIDS than babies in smoke-free households. Babies whose parents smoke more than a pack a day may be as much as four times more likely to die of SIDS. Quitting smoking can keep your child healthier because children of smokers are sick more often and with more ailments. Studies show that smoking makes all kinds of health problems worse for kids. Children whose parents smoke have more ear infections and worse allergies than children of non-smokers. And smokers' children are more likely to suffer from a variety of respiratory problems, including asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia. Quitting smoking is one of the best ways to prevent a fire in your home. Each year, hundreds of children are killed or injured in burning homes. Cigarettes, and the matches and lighters used to light them, are major causes of house fires. Quitting smoking prevents injuries. Babies move around unpredictably and could be burned by cigarettes in an instant. And with a cigarette in your hand, you may not be able to scoop your child out of danger. Kicking the habit will leave you less tense and helps give you more patience. Smokers often mistakenly believe that cigarettes calm them down. But nicotine addiction is more likely to make you tense. This strains your relationship with your child and makes it harder for you to build a secure emotional base for your family. Quitting will allow you to spend more time with your child because you'll live a longer, healthier life - and so will he. Non-smokers not only live longer on average than smokers, but they're also more often free of horrible long-term illnesses like emphysema, lung cancer and chronic health problems. Plus, non-smokers' children are more likely to be non-smokers themselves when they grow up. Smoking stinks and keeps people away from you. Make yourself and your home more inviting by not smoking. Parents of infants need support from other adults, who will be more comfortable in a smoke-free house. And as your child grows, other parents will be happier to send their children over to play. If you think about it, you could probably come up with even more reasons to quit smoking for your baby's sake. When you give your baby the advantage of breathing clean air, you also give him his earliest and healthiest inspiration. These days, you can find lots of support to stop smoking. Ask your health care provider for help, especially if you're pregnant. Other resources include: American Cancer Society 1-800-TRY-TO-STOP