LITTLE ROCK A Hot Springs legislator who led the charge to ban smoking in cars with children says the state should also consider prohibiting smoking during pregnancy.

Representative Bob Mathis told lawmakers yesterday that children born to smokers face the risk of long-term health problems and questioned whether it was "constitutional" for a mother to smoke while pregnant.

link

Wow. I'm really speechless this time. I can barely mutter, What a &^%$#$ nazi.

This is getting waaaay out of hand!

I smoked during both my pregnancies. (I even smoked in my hospital rooms. =sigh= Those were the days.) They never had more than the usual colds during childhood. One of them had an ear infection ONE time, and with medication, it cleared up with no problems. They grew up strong and healthy. No asthma or breathing related problems. 'Nuff said.



_______________
"When told how to think or what to say or how to behave, we don't. We disobey social protocol that stifles and stigmatizes personal freedom." ~Charlton Heston, Winning the Culture War, 02/16/99

My mother smoked, but not while pregnant. My wife smoked, but not while pregnant. I do not know if it mattered. I am one of seven children and we all have the normal colds and contagious diseases. We all survived.

Although my wife did not smoke while pregnant, our son did have asthma and a dry skin disorder. I credit my health to vitamin and mineral suppliments from an early age. My wife believes she gets what she needs from what she eats. Our son still copes with both conditions, but he also smokes and I have encouraged him to adopt using vitamins and mineral suppliments.

Being a male, unable to get pregnant, I have not had to decide. I only know that throughout the advance of civilization pregnant women have been exposed to smoke. Either to keep warm or to cook food and we continue to dominate this planet.

Whatever a women decides, it is her decision. Just as it is her decision to carry a pregnancy to term. No one can live someone else's life for them, regardless of legislation.

Considering that they cannot prevent pregnant women from drinking alcohol or using drugs while pregnant, I am sure they will have tons of luck enforcing this law. Then again, the antis crave control more than anything and this will be the first step towards making smoking tobacco by anyone - pregnant or not, an illegal act.

Actually, it never occurred to me to NOT smoke during pregnancy. As far as I can recall, neither doc said anything about quitting. This was early and mid 80s. I didn't drink or use drugs (still don't), so neither of those was of concern.

Still, doesn't matter whether it's harmful or not. Other things are known to be harmful and are not against the law. Outlaw THEM, then you can throw in smoking. Otherwise, it's just another anti-smoker attack by the little antis.

I wonder precisely how they would enforce this. Maintain a state registry of pregnant women and have social workers make surprise visits to their homes? Do periodic testing of all pregnant women for traces of nicotine use?

I'm still wondering how happy cops are at enforcing their smoking ban in cars with kids.

Obviously, Arkansas is becoming a state to avoid at any cost.

quote:

Originally posted by tnsmoker:
Still, doesn't matter whether it's harmful or not. Other things are known to be harmful and are not against the law. Outlaw THEM, then you can throw in smoking. Otherwise, it's just another anti-smoker attack by the little antis.

I totally agree. Unless they go after everything it's merely the anti-tobacco brainwashing in them that's talking. It's not really about health.

That's what gets me about the anti-tobacco classes my kids have had and lectures from editors of papers. They'll say something like, Tobacco smoke contains benzene, a deadly chemical.

Okay, if it's so deadly that you had to open your %$#@ mouths about it then why did you only inform the students/readership of one small source of it and not all? Why didn't you mention that their greatest exposure (the vast majority) comes from auto exhaust?

Until they do it's not about health. It's about anti-tobacco and there really is a difference.

Another very harmful aspect of this proposed law is that it would likely decrease access to medical care for many pregnant women. If it becomes illegal to smoke, a lot of Arkansas women who do smoke during their pregnancy may well be fearful of going to their physician, or may go less often then they should, because of fear of repercussions due to their smoking. Especially poor women who could ill afford an expensive penalty.

I'm afraid that the anti-smoking movement has created an environment in which this type of thing can occur. And I think the problem is that we have attempted to demonize smokers.

Here's my full commentary on this issue.

It would seem that the medical profession has created the myth that child birth can not occur without their presence and blessings.

Throughout history birth has taken place without medical intervention. If all systems are in working order everything happens successfully on it's own. I would think high birth weight babies mean more medical intervention as the child may be unable to pass thru the birth canal. These children fatten up pretty quick once exposed to nutrician from multiple sources.

My only thought about a legislator worried about unborn children is they are looking for that tax payer providing their health care premiums later.

There would probably be more children in this country if legislators hadn't made the two income family necessary in the first place.

Certainly health care would not cost what it does if health insurance did not exist. If every individual had to depend on their own resources to pay for their own health care, there would be a lot less of it being used.

Health care would not be able to afford studies of studies of studies if they were all out there looking for customers for their services.

How many other businesses can exist sitting in their offices waiting for customers to arrive at their door? Further how many business can exist without posting prices for their services? How many other businesses can exist that shield their competitors from the wrath of customers for poor overpriced services?

It is only a strong lobby in Washington and indoctrination of the public that allows this profession to servive.

Much like the Catholic Church servived until the Reformation in Europe. They were the only service in town until then.

quote:

I'm afraid that the anti-smoking movement has created an environment in which this type of thing can occur. And I think the problem is that we have attempted to demonize smokers.

Heretic!!!!!!!!

Sorry, Doc. I just couldn't resist.

The difference here, Dr. Siegel is that you only think your side has attempted to demonize smokers, while our side KNOWS that is exactly the goal of your side.

The anti-smokers have long contended that the ONLY reason my daughter weighed 5lbs14oz was because I smoked while pregnant. In their narrow minds it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact I only weighed around 105/110lbs at the time myself. Nope, only because I'm an evil, child abusing smoker.

I do agree with you that such actions will only cause even fewer women to seek appropriate pre-natal care and that is by far more dangerous to the unborn child than the possibility that the mother smokes.

They are unable to keep people from using illegal drugs, whether pregnant or not, what makes them think they will be able to keep women from smoking.