Food for thought

Jun 25, 2007

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Simon Clark, director of smokers’ rights group Forest, criticised the proposals. ‘It’s wrong to draw an automatic correlation between children seeing parents smoke and then assuming that they will take up smoking.

I have a little boy, a four year old. His father smokes, not in the house, not in the car, only outside, but nevertheless, he smokes. I listened to my little boy playing mummies and daddies with his sister, and was dismayed to hear “I’m going for a cigarette.” As far as he’s concerned, that’s what men do when they are grown up.

Now I know there’s a long time to go before he’s grown up, but then again, Tim wasn’t nearly 16 when he took up smoking, so it isn’t as long as you might think. With the greatest of respect, Simon Clark, I don’t think you know what you are talking about, and while parents might have a right to smoke, they do not have the right to show their children that it’s a normal healthy thing to do, because it isn’t.

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Comments

7 responses to “Food for thought”

Gill
25 June 2007
I agree with you instinctively Jax, but my experience doesn’t bear it out. for e.g.: my dad and stepmother both smoke, but neither of my stepsiblings who were brought up by them do. My mother and stepfather, where I grew up, never did, but I did, my sister didn’t and my brother does. And I don’t now, haven’t for years and never did in front of the children, yet one of my sons now does. I think, therefore, there’s a lot more to why some people start smoking and others don’t than role models. But yes, it does make sense for parents not to smoke in front of children, if possible, I think.
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Claire
26 June 2007
I think Simon Clark is right actually. Neither of my parents smoked but I do and my brother doesn’t. I had friends at school with siblings who’s parents smoked – some of the siblings smoked, others didn’t.
As for Small, of course he is going to replicate his dad, children tend to copy what their parents do or other people that they spend significant amounts of time with. You wait till he starts copying the way both of you behave, has a pretend arguement that sounds identical to you both. That’ll make you stop and think momentarily 😉
I don’t think anyone that smokes would advocate it to their children as a healthy life option (I certainly don’t) but the same could be said for drinking. And will my daughter drink when she’s older? Who knows but if she does, she won’t have learnt that behaviour from me or OH as neither of us drink and rarely go to a pub/restaurant. I don’t think it’s about rights Jax, more choices and responsibilities ie teaching your children that as a human being and an adult, they have choices in life but along with those choices comes responbility (and consequences).
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Tim
26 June 2007
I believe that there is a higher probability that the children of smokers will be smokers themselves, but I have heard figures quoted but never seen them, so I don’t know what the correlation is.
I don’t want my children to smoke, but then I don’t want to smoke. I smoked every day from when I was thirteen until I was over thirty, but I have given up for periods since.
I tend to start smoking again when I am under stress. T
The reason I start again is not because I am making an informed, adult choice, but simply because I am an addict and that is what addicts do.
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Gill
26 June 2007
I can relate to that 100% Tim. I started smoking again throughout my 20s and 30s after every row with my mother. Stopped seeing my mother and voila – no more fags! I wish it was so easy (but maybe less drastic!) for everyone else.
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rosie
27 June 2007
I am in a similar position to Tim. I stopped when Meg was about 7 because she didn’t like it. Now she smokes- we both smoke-togther! I only started agin a couple of years ago when under a great deal of stress and now the kids know although I don’t do it in front of them. But their dad does.
I’m not proud of it. I am an addict. My dad smoked, in the garage: that’s what I do now. He couldn’t ever give up. That’s what killed him. Meg and I both said w’ed give up on July 1st, but I said it would have to be after I move house, which aint happening just yet. One thing at a time…Well I did it before so I can do it again. I just know how hard it is- yesterday I was a complete wreck without it.
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Gill
27 June 2007
I used to do that date-setting thing to stop. It always had to be the 1st of a month, and I always had to up my intake in the weeks prior to it. The day before I’d smoke like a chimney then wake up on stopping day feeling relieved I didn’t have to smoke any more! Then I’d get through the stopping time by telling myself it would be out of my blood stream in 48 hrs, and purely psychological after that.
Could still enjoy a fag though, to this day! 🙄
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Tim
29 June 2007
Now here is a little oddity.
When Prohibition starts on the 1st of July, prison officers will no longer be allowed to smoke in prisons.
But inmates will.
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