I didn’t realise I needed to tell you not to smoke near a playground

"That looks like a nice bench, I might just sit there and ruin the fresh air of kids who are playing."

Near my local Coles, there’s a small playground that I visit to let my toddler burn off some energy before I attempt to do a grocery shop without multiple meltdowns.

It won’t win any awards for being the most spectacular park, but it does the job, and my little one loves it.

Beside the gate to enter the playground is a wooden bench and a sign that asks visitors, in my opinion, some pretty common-sense rules to follow.

Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this.

Is common sense dead?

The sign reads: "No dogs allowed in the playground area, No smoking within 10m of the playground, and Please pick up your rubbish." All straightforward requests, right?

Well, apparently not.

As my daughter was climbing the stairs to the slide (for the 783rd time), a middle-aged man wandered over to the bench, sat down and lit up a smoke right there.

I don’t know if it’s because I’m not a smoker or I’m a lot more acutely aware of cigarettes now I have a child, but he seemed like he was smoking three at once because the smell was disgusting.

Many other mums in the playground shot dirty looks in the man’s direction, but they all went unnoticed as he scrolled through his phone.

As I began walking towards the guy to ask him to bugger off, he stood up, put his cigarette out and walked away.

Seriously, who thinks, “That looks like a nice bench, I might sit and smoke a cigarette right next to a kid’s playground?”

RELATED: Woman bans MIL from touching her newborn

Seems straightforward to me.

Parents weigh in

I messaged a couple of my friends after the incident and asked how they would have approached the situation, and they all agreed they would have told him to leave (in varying degrees of cordialness).

A mum of a 13-month-old told me, “I am so sick of people thinking it’s ok to smoke near kids.

“I would have marched right up to him and told him to get lost,” she added.

Mum of one 18-month-old boy with another on the way laughed and said, “There have been moments where I’ve wanted to throw a stinky nappy their way… I bet they’d move fast then!”

However, one mum’s encounter left her a little shaky after a run-in with one woman.

“She yelled at me, ‘F**k off! I’ll do what I want!’”

…What a lovely human being.

Impacts of second-hand smoke

It’s not just about the stench that comes with being around a smoker, it also has loads of health risks, too.

Second-hand smoke, also known as passive smoke or environmental tobacco smoke, poses severe health risks to both adults and kids.

Inhalation of involuntary smoke can expose you to a toxic cocktail of more than 7,000 chemicals, with at least 250 recognised as harmful, including over 60 carcinogens. 

Non-smokers regularly exposed to second-hand smoke face an increased risk of developing respiratory infections, heart disease, and lung cancer. 

Kids are particularly vulnerable, as exposure can lead to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), low birth weight, and developmental issues. 

Additionally, the harmful effects extend to pregnant women, contributing to complications during pregnancy. 

He was smoking so close to my daughter and niece playing.

You do you

I’m a firm believer in “you do you”.

If you wanna be a smoker in your own space, your lungs, your choice.

But don’t disregard everyone around you because you need a nicotine hit.

Out of curiosity, I looked up how much a packet of cigarettes costs these days, and I was totally blown away.

An article published by Smoke-Free Clinic revealed the average cost of a pack of cigarettes is $40.

Tax increases set to be implemented from May 2023 to 2026 will escalate the price to $50 per pack- yikes!

For a smoker who makes their way through a 20-pack a day, they’ll fork out around $12,775 a year- double yikes! 

Maths is definitely not my strong suit, but a quick calculation on my phone revealed that a decade-long habit would cost a smoker a mind blowing total cost of around $127,750– triple yikes!

Like I said, your life, your lungs and, in this case, your loss.

But can you take your cigarette and bugger off someplace else!

Originally published as I didn’t realise I needed to tell you not to smoke near a playground