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05/11/2008
Council Bans Smokers From Fostering
Smokers in a London borough council are to be banned from fostering children, under radical new policies.
Redbridge Council's cabinet agreed on Tuesday night to place the ban on carers who smoke, unless they are "exceptional circumstances".
The north-east London council wants to protect children from the "damaging effects of passive and second-hand smoke".
Redbridge councilors voted unanimously in favour of the policy, which will come into force in 2010.
Cabinet member for children, Conservative Councillor, Michael Stark, said: "We know this is a difficult issue because some people will feel it is an intrusion on personal freedoms, but we also know that smoking increases the risk of serious illness in childhood."
Under the new agreed policy all new applicants who smoke will be advised at an early stage of the process that their smoking habits will be taken into consideration along with other health issues.
The council said the new policy is a result of scientific evidence that "second hand smoke is a cause of lung cancer and childhood respiratory disease".
The Fostering Network, a charity which represents groups involved in fostering, said: "We certainly view this as a good move in terms of creating a smoke-free environment for a child, but we don't agree that a blanket ban on any smokers becoming foster carers is the right thing."
Meanwhile a spokesperson for pro-smoking group Forest criticised the move as being "another attempt to stigmatise smokers".
Adding: "This discriminates against plenty of people who would have made excellent foster carers, and so it is damaging not only for them but also for the children that they would have fostered."
(JM)
Redbridge Council's cabinet agreed on Tuesday night to place the ban on carers who smoke, unless they are "exceptional circumstances".
The north-east London council wants to protect children from the "damaging effects of passive and second-hand smoke".
Redbridge councilors voted unanimously in favour of the policy, which will come into force in 2010.
Cabinet member for children, Conservative Councillor, Michael Stark, said: "We know this is a difficult issue because some people will feel it is an intrusion on personal freedoms, but we also know that smoking increases the risk of serious illness in childhood."
Under the new agreed policy all new applicants who smoke will be advised at an early stage of the process that their smoking habits will be taken into consideration along with other health issues.
The council said the new policy is a result of scientific evidence that "second hand smoke is a cause of lung cancer and childhood respiratory disease".
The Fostering Network, a charity which represents groups involved in fostering, said: "We certainly view this as a good move in terms of creating a smoke-free environment for a child, but we don't agree that a blanket ban on any smokers becoming foster carers is the right thing."
Meanwhile a spokesperson for pro-smoking group Forest criticised the move as being "another attempt to stigmatise smokers".
Adding: "This discriminates against plenty of people who would have made excellent foster carers, and so it is damaging not only for them but also for the children that they would have fostered."
(JM)
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