Home Smoking Bans

I never really thought about this subject until a recent journal article prompted me toward evaluation. The question is, "Do you have a smoking ban at home?" Well, if both parents are nonsmokers, the answer seems pretty obvious, yes. But what about children who smoke in a household where the parents don't? Do the parents maintain the ban or give into the whim of the child. Perhaps they place rules on smoking like 'only do it outside'.

I think nonsmoking parents are in a great position to legislate the household toward a smoking ban. Not because you want to keep your kid from getting nicotine poisoning or anything. But after all, it is the parent's house. They make the payments and the kid just kind of lives there rent free. It seems like the parents could really make a stand on this issue. In the long run, they'd be improving the health of their kids and themselves by limiting the amount of direct and indirect smoke inhaled by the family. A win-win for everyone, whether they realize it at the time or not.

Who knows, perhaps the kid will quit as the cycle of addiction gets interrupted in the house. Then they can see what happens when you quit smoking.