The acrid smell of smoke wafted through the air. To his credit, the smoker seemed to be attempting to keep the cloud away from the children nearby. He was pacing along the edge of the playground, his back to the joyful chaos unfolding behind him. It’s not like he was directly blowing smoke at my child. But the rancid odor was so intense that it felt as if he might as well have been. As my head throbbed from the fumes, I felt the familiar pang in my heart: “It’s not fair.”
Here’s the thing about cigarette smoke: it doesn’t behave like a discarded beer can or a used chewing tobacco pouch. It can’t just be tossed aside. Smoke travels, invading spaces where children play.
I don’t consider myself overly strict, but I believe the rules at the playground exist for a reason. Sure, I’ve broken the “no food or drink” rule a few times—my kids need fuel after sprinting around. But I draw the line at the “No Smoking” sign on the fence. There’s no room for interpretation here. Kids shouldn’t have to run through a fog of smoke in a place meant for them to enjoy.
As a parent, I often find myself grappling with how to address these situations. Calling out the rules to a smoker can feel prudish. Politely asking them to extinguish their cigarette has, in my experience, been met with eye rolls and refusal. I can only imagine that being snarky would invite more snark. Allowing my kids to play in an area filled with secondhand smoke isn’t an option.
More often than not, I’m left with the choice of telling my kids it’s time to go. So, I gather them up and either head home or to another smoke-free playground. They tell me it’s not fair, and they’re absolutely right: it isn’t fair. It’s not fair that my children must leave because someone else ignores the rules. It’s not fair that I have to change my plans because someone else doesn’t take the dangers of secondhand smoke seriously.
Research shows that exposure to secondhand smoke can lead to severe long-term health issues for children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 7,000 chemicals are present in secondhand smoke, many of which are toxic, and at least 70 are known carcinogens. The consequences of secondhand smoke exposure include:
- Increased severity and frequency of attacks in asthmatic children.
- Higher risk of lung cancer, ear infections, pneumonia, and bronchitis.
- Cognitive impairments that affect learning; over 21.9 million children are estimated to face reading challenges due to secondhand smoke.
- Elevated risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, increasing nonsmokers’ risk of heart disease by 25 to 30 percent.
As the foul stench of cigarette smoke lingered, I rounded up my boys and told them it was time to leave. Their disappointed faces spoke volumes before they even voiced their feelings, so I beat them to it: “I know, kids. It’s not fair.” In my mind, I added, but it’s better than the alternative.
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