My 9yo nephew lives with his mom(single parent) who is a excessive smoker who smokes INSIDE:mad: their home even when my nephew is around. I sometimes visit them in their apartment but could not stay for long because I will end up smelling like an ashtray even if I stay for a few minutes. She smokes everywhere in their unit even when my nephew was a new-born.
My nephew coughs a lot every time he's with me whenever I pick him up to look over for him when his mom is at work. We live in Washington State where smoking indoors in a public place is prohibited and my nephew who lives with his mom (my sis) lives in a Public/low income housing. So I'm wondering if there is a government agency who can warn my sister who lives with my nephew not to smoke inside their apartment. I know that my sis loves her son so much but she just can't smoke in their house with him around. I just want some government agency to make her stop smoking inside their home because she would not listen to me.

Thanks

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Originally Posted by aznpnoi69

I just want some government agency to make her stop smoking inside their home because she would not listen to me.

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Hello az:

No matter what you think about it or not, smoking in one's own home is NOT illegal, and NO government agency is going to stick their nose into that... They have enough to do sticking their noses into things that ARE against the law.

I wish there was a government agency that I could call that would stop people from posting questions like yours. I guess we'll both have to do without.

excon

I can understand your worry for your nephew, but there really is little you can do. No matter where she lives (unless it is written into you tenency agreement, which is pretty rare, and not likley at all in public housing!) it is not illegal for her to smoke in there. Everyone has different views on smoking, I just guess hers are different to yours. But there really is nothing you can do to stop her.

While I fully understand and think that smoking at all should be banned everywhere, it is not, and smoking in your own home is not illegal and honestly never will be, that I can see. Work place, public places are one thing, but it only shows she is a bad parent ( at least in my eyes) since she puts her own habit and desires over the health of her child.

And of course the funny thing is you noted she lives in low income housing, which means we the tax payers help pay for her a place to live, ans she is so poor she can not pay rent other places but has the money to smoke all the time. ( Now that should be illegal if anything should)
Since that money should be going to help her improve her living, not going up in smoke ( on my soap box this monring)

But in general there is nothing you can do.

Yes you are concerned for the child, HOWEVER! Do you realize what sort of problems you can cause by calling authoritys? Once they are called for something it is extremely hard to get them off your back. How do I know you might be thinking? it happened to my neighbor out of another person revenge over something totally different from that matter.

YOU, need to talk with sis and voice your concerns

I think however this problem you are so concerned over is not really the issue you are having with her. Be honest is there also another reason behind what is truly going on between you?

You can call authorities but at what risk? Are you willing to lose all contact with her and her children for that little bit of self-satisfaction you might get by doing this?

Think long and hard on this because YOU could split a family apart more than what you ever thought.

I don't have another reason behind it and I've already talked to her about it several times but she won't listen. So if some agency (Family or Health) can warn her, She might stop doing it.

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Originally Posted by aznpnoi69

I dont have another reason behind it and I've already talked to her about it several times but she wont listen. So if some agency (Family or Health) can warn her, She might stop doing it.

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Maybe if you do some research on the effects that second hand smoke has on children and show her she'll put more thought into it. My father smoked around me when I was younger and thanks to him I have asthma

You can try and talk with Children and Family services, they are the only ones that could have any authority on this, and then only if they can prove the child's health is being damaged.

Maybe you could try going online and printing out some information for her to read, educating her on the affects second hand smoke can cause a young child. When I had my son I lived in a home with my mother and older brother, my brother smoked. I did not realize the problems second hand smoke could cause my son until he had to go to the hospital for having trouble breathing and then had to take breathing treatments at home 3 times a day for about 2 months. The doctor had stated that my son's condition was usually seen in smokers without even knowing that there was a smoker in the home. About 3 years ago my grandmother died from lung cancer, the doctor told us that from the look of her lungs she had been a heavy smoker for several years. My grandmother never smoked a day of her life but she lived with a heavy smoker for over 50 years. That person just recently found out they now have lung cancer too. So second hand smoke can be very damaging to someone, especially if she's smoking near him while he is asleep. Can you imagine constantly inhaling smoke while your asleep? Not good at all. Try educating her before anything else.

Don't expect to get too far with your sister. She is addicted to cigarettes and that is more important to her than the well being of her child. She cannot possibly exist in our society and not be aware of what the second hand smoke is doing to her son. You bringing the subject up repeatedly will only make her defensive and most likely resistant to any suggestions from you.

My mother-in-law lives close by but my kids rarely see her. The reason is she smokes like a chimney and doesn't refrain from it when they are around. She has an open invitation to our home at any time with the condition that she smokes outside. She came over once about a year ago. My kids call her and IM and email her, but I just won't allow her to rot out my kid's lungs. It's true former smokers are the least tolerant.

The son might have a better chance at curtailing her than you do. He could try having a "coughing spell" or wear a painter's mask or open all the windows every time she lights up.

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Originally Posted by Emland

Don't expect to get too far with your sister. She is addicted to cigarettes and that is more important to her than the well being of her child. She cannot possibly exist in our society and not be aware of what the second hand smoke is doing to her son.

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Believe it or not a lot of people in today's society don't know what the effects of second hand smoke can do to children. I'm actually doing a paper on t right now and over half of the people in my class are smokers. Most of them had no idea what they were doing to other people. I talked to one of the women that has become my friend and she now actally goes outside to smoke.
It can never hurt to try to educate someone on the effects of what they are doing. If all else fails and you are extremely worried about your nophew buy your sister a clean air machine they aren't completely effective but at least it will help.

Newsreleases - ETS & Kids This website may be from canada but it has a lot of information

Have you tried calling children services, I really hate to say this, but it is a form of child abuse. Good luck