Should it be illegal to smoke while pregnant?

UglyBolloxFace

Now I'm not sure how it would be regulated/controlled, but does anyone else think smoking while pregnant should be illegal?

There is a whole load of scientific research which proves that it's bad for the developing foetus (which is obvious enough).

How Smoking Harms Babies in the Womb
Consider the physiological effects of smoking on yourself and your baby, especially the increased risk of SIDS.

1. It retards growth. Smoking stunts the growth of the developing fetus. Nicotine narrows the uterine blood vessels, thus reducing blood flow to the baby. Also, smoking puts the oxygen blocker carbon monoxide into the blood that nourishes baby. Carbon monoxide robs oxygen from the baby. Levels of carbon monoxide have been measured at six to seven times higher in the blood of pregnant mothers who smoke. Carbon monoxide levels in cigarette smoke resembles that of automobile exhaust. Smoking thus reduces the oxygen supply to the infant in the womb, in effect slightly smothering the defenseless baby.

2. It retards brain development. Nicotine has been shown experimentally to retard fetal brain growth in animals. The developing brain is particularly vulnerable to low levels of oxygen, and immaturity of the brain center that regulates breathing could contribute to SIDS. Recent studies of smoking mothers' infants who died in the womb provide insight into how exposure to smoking may injure developing brains. Besides causing neurological damage by lessening oxygen supply to the developing brain, nicotine may be poisonous to area of the brain directly involved with heart and breathing functions and arousal from sleep. Also, infants whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are more likely to have diminished arousal from sleep in response to a low-oxygen challenge.

3. It impairs breathing after birth. Mothers who smoked at least half a pack of cigarettes a day during pregnancy are nearly three times more likely to have babies with mucus-blocked airways or episodes of apnea.

4. It increases the likelihood of prematurity. The risk of SIDS goes up as baby's birthweight and gestational age go down. Babies of smoking mothers end up being smaller (due to intrauterine growth retardation), and smoking increases the risk of complications of pregnancy that lead to prematurity: premature rupture of fetal membranes, placenta previa, and premature detachment of the placenta.

5. Passive smoking also harms the baby. When expectant mothers are exposed to smoke from other people's cigarettes, their babies are also exposed. One study showed that a pregnant woman's exposure to smoke for at least two hours a day doubled her risk of delivering a low birthweight baby. While older studies claimed no increased SIDS risk if the father smoked, a newer study reports a higher risk of SIDS if the father smokes. Demand that your husband and co-workers respect the life inside your womb. If your job requires working in a smoke-contaminated environment while pregnant, know that this is a proven health hazard to your baby and is grounds for reassignment to a baby-healthy environment. As a testimony to the wisdom of the body, many mothers find they have an aversion to being around cigarette and cigar smoke (and to drinking alcohol) while pregnant. Listen to the warnings of your body and hundreds of medical studies: Don't expose yourself and your baby to smoke while pregnant. Legally, you have the right to work in a smoke-free environment.

6. Other ways smoking harms babies and pregnant mothers include:

Increases infertility (smoking could account for ten percent of infertility problems in mothers)
Increases risk of ectopic pregnancy
Increases risk of placenta previa
Increases risk of premature separation of the placenta
Increases risk of placental abnormalities (known as "smoker's placenta")
Increases risk of problem pregnancies, e.g., pre-eclampsia
Increases risk of prematurity under intrauterine growth retardation
Increases risk of the newborn dying at birth by twenty percent; thirty-five percent if mother smokes more than thirty-five cigarettes a day
Increases risk of respiratory infections in infant
Increases risk of SIDS by two to five times

In my opinion, it is disgusting seeing a pregnant woman smoke. Yes, it is her body and she has a right to do whatever she wants to (within law), but I don't think it's fair that the child is subjected to this. It is strange though - this brings up a conflict within my own beliefs; I am in favour of women having the choice of abortion, but I just hate seeing an unborn child subjected to the effects of cigarettes. Maybe because when the child is born, they will have to live with the effects of their mother having smoked during pregnancy.

What do you think?

InkSlinger67

The "it makes me look cool" defence applies to everyone

Eric Cartman

it should be illegal for somebody stupid enough to smoke while pregnant to even have kids

bleg

If you're pregnant you shouldn't smoke and should only consume very very modest amounts of ethanol, if any.

eth0

No

There is enough interference by the State in one's daily life already as it is. If somebody is stupid enough to try this then off with them. The State tried to protect the rights of the unborn foetoes before and look where that got em.

Chuck Stone

How do you propose to police that?

wolf moon

Yes since a baby is involved.

Kevin Duffy

I'm an ex-smoker, so I welcome this chance to jump up on my high-horse and say smoking should be banned for everyone. The most stupid thing I've ever done. Seriously retarded behaviour with no merits. If smoking was invented tomorrow, it would never be licensed.

Dudess

Yeah not enforceable, but I hate seeing it, in the late stages especially. I'd understand a smoker having one sneaky fag a handful of times throughout the entire pregnancy but regular smoking is pretty shocking.
And it isn't just her body.

Indubitable

Women that stupid shouldn't be allowed have kids in the first place.

UglyBolloxFace

Chuck Stone wrote: »

How do you propose to police that?

I don't, as I mentioned in the OP.

amacachi

With women who smoke while pregnant there's generally far bigger problems with how they treat the kid once they've ejected it.

seantorious

Having watched a girl I know have 2 children die from using alcohol and smoking during pregnancy some people are too stupid to understand why it's not allowed.

My name is URL

Between this and the breastfeeding thread all I know is that I'm glad to be male. I don't think I could hack life as a woman.

John Doe1

Cigarettes should be shot

Ickle Magoo

Presumably making such a stance that would quickly lead to questions re if smoking causes sufficient negative health implications for specific subsets, that it actually has negative health implications for all and that it shouldn't be legal at all...and that would lead to subsequent loss of revenue...and so, no....as you were...kaythxbye.

lar203

this kills me ,so many people would love to have kids and there cannot and yet scum that don't care about them pop them out like smarteys .
the poor kids have no chance it's wrong

Son Of A Vidic

UglyBolloxFace wrote: »

I am in favour of women having the choice of abortion

So why not smoking then? Doesn't abortion give a child zero chance of survival?

partyatmygaff

If people want to poison themselves... fine.
If people want to poison their kids... not fine.

That said, I don't see how it would be possible to prevent pregnant women from drinking or smoking. Perhaps a ban on sale of alcohol to obviously pregnant women in restaurants/bars but the effects that would have would be minimal.

My name is URL

I have a problem with pregnant women smoking but no problem at all with abortion

Yay for liberalism

LighterGuy

I think it should be illegal to get pregnant while smoking

UglyBolloxFace

lar203 wrote: »

this kills me ,so many people would love to have kids and there cannot and yet scum that don't care about them pop them out like smarteys .
the poor kids have no chance it's wrong

Personally I don't think expectant-mothers who smoke are scum whom don't care about their kids. It is an addiction, which goes a little way toward my understanding of why they smoke.

However, women who don't cut down on the cigarettes at all while pregnant (i.e. those who continue smoking 30/40 odd a day) really disgust me.

UglyBolloxFace

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

So why not smoking then? Doesn't abortion give a child zero chance of survival?

To put it bluntly:

Abortion = child gone forever

Cigarette smoking while pregnant = child could potentially end up with a shitty life due to preventable illnesses/diseases.

MagicMarker

LighterGuy wrote: »

I think it should be illegal to get pregnant while smoking

Sure who smokes during sex?

billybudd

lar203 wrote: »

this kills me ,so many people would love to have kids and there cannot and yet scum that don't care about them pop them out like smarteys .
the poor kids have no chance it's wrong

Not many people like seeing pregnant women smoke but equating them to scum is a bit much.

My name is URL

MagicMarker wrote: »

Sure who smokes during sex?

*don't say your ma, don't say your ma, don't say yore ma*

Ehm.. yore son?

UglyBolloxFace

My name is URL wrote: »

*don't say your ma, don't say your ma, don't say yore ma*

Ehm.. yore son?

IT Crowd:D

Eric Cartman

John Doe1 wrote: »

Cigarettes should be shot

yeah, im trying to smoke them all out of existence for you.

partyatmygaff

billybudd wrote: »

Not many people like seeing pregnant women smoke but equating them to scum is a bit much.

No it's not.

It's like seeing a mother blow smoke in to a newborn baby's face except far worse as the toxins are going direct to the baby's bloodstream instead of through their lungs. Those toxins wreak havoc on the baby's body and interfere with its development. The damage caused at that early stage of a child's life will last with them for the rest of their lives. It's almost criminal tbh.

lynski

smoking should be banned.

Sindri

lynski wrote: »

smoking should be banned.

Pregnant people should be banned

EASYNEWS

LighterGuy wrote: »

I think it should be illegal to get pregnant while smoking

Ye, I hate women who smoke while we are having sex.

jam_mac_jam

Can we not just shoot the smokers? Do we not do that yet those bastards.

Drink actually causes much more harm to unborn babies so if anything it should be drink that is illegal. I think its wrong obviously but I think the Gardai maybe have bigger fish to fry.

Rabidlamb

We should also make it illegal for a pregnant woman to punch herself in the stomach aswell.
Unpoliceable laws are unpoliceable, see smoking in work vans.
Just what the Guards need, more unenforceable legislation.

lynski

if cigarettes were illegal then it would not be unenforceable.
I think 8 years ago that wa the mistake they made - instead of just banning smoking in pubs etc they should just of out-lawed cigarettes altogether. the savings tot he health service would have already surpassed the drop in taxes.
there is not one single genuine benefit to cigarettes.

emick

The only thing you can do is educate people not to smoke while pregnant.

If you started down the road of banning people from smoking then how do you enforce it?

jam_mac_jam

lynski wrote: »

if cigarettes were illegal then it would not be unenforceable.
I think 8 years ago that wa the mistake they made - instead of just banning smoking in pubs etc they should just of out-lawed cigarettes altogether. the savings tot he health service would have already surpassed the drop in taxes.
there is not one single genuine benefit to cigarettes.

Well that makes more sense then banning it for some people. I think it would be a good thing for cigerettes to be illegal completely.

Mike 1972

Rabidlamb wrote: »

We should also make it illegal for a pregnant woman to punch herself in the stomach aswell.
Unpoliceable laws are unpoliceable, see smoking in work vans.
Just what the Guards need, more unenforceable legislation.

I reluctantly agree with you.

Thalia_26

UglyBolloxFace wrote: »

Now I'm not sure how it would be regulated/controlled, but does anyone else think smoking while pregnant should be illegal?

There is a whole load of scientific research which proves that it's bad for the developing foetus (which is obvious enough).



In my opinion, it is disgusting seeing a pregnant woman smoke. Yes, it is her body and she has a right to do whatever she wants to (within law), but I don't think it's fair that the child is subjected to this. It is strange though - this brings up a conflict within my own beliefs; I am in favour of women having the choice of abortion, but I just hate seeing an unborn child subjected to the effects of cigarettes. Maybe because when the child is born, they will have to live with the effects of their mother having smoked during pregnancy.

What do you think?

I don't know if it should be illegal but I think, if it can be proved that a woman smoked/drank regularly without regard for her unborn child, social services should keep in close contact for a few years after he/she was born to make sure that they weren't neglected.

Smoking or drinking while pregnant isn't the greatest start.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Oh come on for goodness sake we are not going to be banning smoking anytime soon, think of the affects on tax revenue, tourism etc. Plus what about having free choice to live your life as you see fit and not having some fascist tell you, you can't do something.

Dudess

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Oh come on for goodness sake we are not going to be banning smoking anytime soon, think of the affects on tax revenue, tourism etc. Plus what about having free choice to live your life as you see fit and not having some fascist tell you, you can't do something.

Smoking regularly while pregnant is hardly living one's life as one sees fit.

Coriolanus

amacachi wrote: »

With women who smoke while pregnant there's generally far bigger problems with how they treat the kid once they've ejected it.

Probably should go in the stupid things you thought as a kid thread, but that reminds that I used to think that when the mum wanted the baby to come out, she pressed her belly button and it just popped out.

Edit: Oh, and on topic, I think this is a great idea. It could be integrated into a "baby licence" scheme that you'd have to pass certain benchmarks in order to be allowed a pregnancy. If during the pregnancy you're found to be breaking the rules, well, out with the hoover.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Dudess wrote: »

Smoking regularly while pregnant is hardly living one's life as one sees fit.

No I was referring to banning smoking outright, my views on smoking while pregnant are that its wrong.

My name is URL

Dudess wrote: »

Smoking regularly while pregnant is hardly living one's life as one sees fit.

It might be.. who is one to say? :P

Thalia_26

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Oh come on for goodness sake we are not going to be banning smoking anytime soon, think of the affects on tax revenue, tourism etc. Plus what about having free choice to live your life as you see fit and not having some fascist tell you, you can't do something.

Yeah, it's fascist to tell a pregnant woman not to smoke ... it's grand, smoke up, not like you are doing your unborn child any damage :rolleyes:

LighterGuy

lynski wrote: »

smoking should be banned.

Having sex should be banned.

lynski

there are a whole host of things people would like to do that are illegal - heroin, pot, coke, bestiality - personal choice has limits in all societies.
I think the pros outweigh the cons. the revenue generated seems to be about 1billion and the costs are estimated at 1 to 2 billion to the HSE.

jam_mac_jam

Thalia_26 wrote: »

Yeah, it's fascist to tell a pregnant woman not to smoke ... it's grand, smoke up, not like you are doing your unborn child any damage :rolleyes:

Well we all know who brought in the first anti smoking laws, so yes it is actually a bit.

The Princess Bride

Unfortunately,I've seen the prem babies,the small for dates babies,the children with recurrent chest/ear infections,the near-miss cot death babies on numerous occasions.

Opening a locker to remove a babygro that stinks of smoke is one of the most disgusting things I've ever had to do as a nurse-as well as listening to parents moaning at the price of inhalers but very happy to spend their money on cigarettes.

Some children are just bloody unlucky to be born to these twats,who,unfortunately,don't seem to have any problems either conceiving or popping out lots of these babies.

Sometimes,life sucks.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Thalia_26 wrote: »

Yeah, it's fascist to tell a pregnant woman not to smoke ... it's grand, smoke up, not like you are doing your unborn child any damage :rolleyes:

Don't put words in my mouth I never said that, I was giving my opinion on having a blanket ban on sale of tobacco.

Thalia_26

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Don't put words in my mouth I never said that, I was giving my opinion on having a blanket ban on sale of tobacco.

But the OP wasn't about talking about a blanket ban on tobacco ... it was a very clear question about whether or not pregnant women should be thought to be breaking the law if they smoke.

Not a blanket ban, just pregnant women.