Smoking

Smoking around children

Children coming into care are more likely to have health problems, and need healthy and safe environments to thrive. For young children, passive smoking can cause middle ear infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma and other chest infections. It has also been linked to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

In Queensland, it is an offence to smoke in the car with children under 16 years old. The penalty is an on-the-spot fine of over $200.

For these reasons, foster and kinship carers are urged to not smoke inside the home, within confined spaces, or generally in the presence of children in their care.

For help to quit smoking, call Quitline on 13 78 48 or find more information about this free and confidential service.

Children in care who smoke

If the child placed with you smokes, please call your Child Safety Officer to discuss how to best respond to this behaviour.

A carer cannot actively support a child’s smoking habits, for example, by supplying cigarettes or setting aside an area in the home where they can smoke. While you may not be able to physically stop the child from smoking, you should work with the child’s safety and support network and together make every effort to actively discourage them from smoking.

When a child has a nicotine addiction, medical advice must be sought before giving them nicotine replacement products, or medication to manage nicotine addiction, such as nicotine patches. Child Safety must give approval for the proposed treatment, based on medical advice.