TuscMoms.com

Despite a shortage of foster homes, the UK is considering banning foster parents from taking in children if they smoke.
Officials there say smoking parents are a bad influence and second-hand smoke dangers the child's health.

Would you support this here in the U.S.? Do you think smokers shouldn't become foster parents?

Here is the article:

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It makes sense to me. Second-hand smoke is so bad for children (and adults too, for that matter), and studies have shown it is detrimental to some children (asmthma sufferers, for example), even when the parent smokes outside - the toxic particulates cling to the skin and hair and clothing of the smoker. If someone wants to be a foster parent badly enough, the can quit smoking, right?
On the other hand, smoking is not the only danger out there. What about foster parents who drink too much alcohol or take prescription medication that affects their cognition or have unhealthy eating habits they're passing on to the children? I think it is difficult to know where this would stop. Arguably, those other things I mentioned can be more dangerous to the health of a child than a little scond-hand smoke in a given situation. It might be a slippery slope.

I agree with the slippery slope, LM.
What about overeaters and drinkers? There are so many ways to be a bad influence to a child and affect a child's health.
And if foster kids need a home and a kind, loving, smoking foster parent wants to take a kid in, isn't that situation likely to be better than the one the kid was removed from?

Also, I think about the fact that I grew up with two smoking parents and they were great parents. No, the second hand smoke wasn't good for me.
But I am not a smoker. And I grew up in a happy household.