Most of us would agree that smoking around children is never a good idea. There is so much research that proves secondhand smoke is unhealthy for children. Still there are lots of parents who smoke in their homes and cars even when their children are around. Up until this story, I’d never heard of a family losing a child to social services because of smoking.
A UK home health reporter went to the home to check on a child. She said there was a literal cloud of cigarette smoke in the house. Julie Allen said she’d never seen such a “smoky house.” The child was struggling to breath. The boy needed an inhaler to breath and Allen said she had trouble breathing.
She told the judge in the case the boy should be taken from the parents and put up for adoption. According to the judge in the case:
“The parents seemed unable both at that stage and when the issue of smoking around [the boy] was raised by any other professional, to acknowledge or appreciate the concern and adapt their behaviour.”
The child has been put up for adoption and the parents were able to say goodbye after he was taken temporarily from them.
There is probably so much more to this case, but this was the highlight. This was the tipping point for the judge in deciding if the boy should be taken from his parents. Were they given a chance to move their smoking outdoors? Were they give opportunities to take better care of their child? Many people consider smoking around children abuse. What do you think? Should the boy have been taken from his parents?
