Boy taken into care, level of cigarette smoke cited as major issue
Monday, June 1, 2015 at 15:40
Simon Clark

A busy day just got busier.

The Press Association reports that "A two-year-old boy has been taken from his parents' care after a health visitor highlighted concerns about the level of cigarette smoke at his home."

See 'Boy taken from parents over smoke' (Press Association)

I've done an interview for Radio One. (A soundbite will be used on Newsbeat at 5.50.) I've also been asked to do more interviews in the morning.

Meanwhile we've issued this response:

"Isolated incident must not be used to stigmatise all smokers" says Forest

A smokers' group says a report that a two-year-old boy has been taken from his parents' care after a health visitor highlighted concerns about the level of cigarette smoke at his home should not be used "to stigmatise all smokers".

Simon Clark, director of Forest, said:

"It's important smokers are considerate to those around them, especially children, so we don't condone smoking throughout the home if children are present.

"Nevertheless it's important to stress that a number of other concerns were raised about the way the child was being cared for so it would be wrong to focus only on the smoking issue.

"The overwhelming majority of parents who smoke know how to behave around children. An isolated incident like this must not be used to stigmatise all smokers, nor should it be seized upon by those who want to ban smoking in the home."

I'll keep you posted.

Update: The BBC has a report here – Smoker's son, 2, to be adopted because of health risk.

Article originally appeared on Simon Clark (http://taking-liberties.squarespace.com/).
See website for complete article licensing information.