Smoking Pot In front of Children. WWYD?

Purrrfect433

Our lovely new neighbors have a 5 year old and a 6 month old. I know for a fact that they smoke pot all.the.time. They live in a one-bedroom apartment, so one can assume they are smoking it in front of their children. Our whole complex reeks of pot on a regular basis now, so even IF they lock their kids in the one-bedroom every time they spark up, the kids are still constantly exposed the second and third-hand smoke.

I think this is terrible! I'm not opposed to smoking pot for recreational purposes if that's your thing. Whateves. But, when it's as constant as smoking cigarettes and you are doing in the presence of your small children, that's absolutely wrong IMO. Would you do anything? Call anyone(CPS, the police, apartment owner)?  Or would you just mind your own business. Besides them smoking in front of their kids, I'm sick of MY apartment smelling like pot if we have our windows open. Thanks for your input. I appreciate it.

firefightersgal

I would report them to the police.

amiamish

I hate when people smoke with children around-regardless if its cigs or pot or other. I would probably call the police and say there is a strong odor of pot coming from there, and it's common so they need to come check it out. Also mention that you are pretty sure there are children living there.

shopgirl_07

Ugh, I'm with you.

Is there an apartment manager you can call? If not then, yes, call the owner. I would not be a happy camper if I had to live in a pot reeking apartment, regardless of the other issues. These people are rude and clueless (not to mention bad parents).

praline

Hmmm, I think first I'd call the apartment owner because it's bothering you and coming in your windows.  If that solved the problem of it bothering you, in the absence of other signs of abuse or neglect I think I'd leave well enough alone. 

 

Rebekah1021

I would certainly call CPS, the police and anyone who would listen.

You shouldn't be exposed to it if you don't want to be.

penguingrrl

Those poor children!  I would call the police and report that you smell pot coming from that apartment very often.  I wouldn't offer any more information than that unless you're asked specifics since the police can figure the rest out pretty easily once they investigate.

Temp159135562506975

my biggest issue would be MY place smelling like pot.  Their kids being around the smoke is no worse than cigarette smoke really - which I think is disgusting to do in your home esp with children.  it's not illegal to smoke cigs around your children --- but it is illegal to smoke pot- period.

i would complain to building management - and if they don't remedy the problem- i would call the cops probably - not so much about the kids- but just that your apartment fills up with pot smoke from theirs and you want it stopped.  The cops can decide how to handle the child issue.

sooosie

firefightersgal:

I would report them to the police.

Ditto this, but this is coming from the girl who called the cops on her own brother once for dropping acid when we were teens.  One stomach pumping and he didn't do that again.  But I digress. 

amiamish

sooosie:

One stomach pumping and he didn't do that again. 

that's awesome!!! What does he think of that now?

praline

See this is interesting to me that everyone says call the police.  I know pot is illegal, but I don't think it should be, so that may color my opinion.

If your neighbor were chain smoking cigarettes in front of their kids, would you call the cops?  What about if your neighbor got drunk alot?  Not drunk and whaling on the kids and breaking down doors, just drunk.  I know pot is illegal and therefore I know that calling the cops may seem appropriate and people anti-drug and all that...I just think it's so interesting how many parents out there use and abuse legal substances all the time around their kids and no one would ever think to call the cops. 

I would try to confront the situation more directly at first, unless there were other distrubing things going on at the apartment.  And I DON'T think smoking anything around your kids is a good idea and I don't ever ever ever smoke anything around my kid or otherwise. 

Also I think Puurf should not have to smell the smoke in her apartment but I think the best way to take care of that is by talking to the neighbors themselves or if that seems unwise to her based on what their like, to talk to ownership.

femmegem

I also think calling the police is a little extreme. Ditto praline. I would talk to the neighbors themselves first, or management if that's not feasible.

TwoChickens

Report them.  Call the apartment owner, CPS, and the police.

august06mom

sooosie:

firefightersgal:

I would report them to the police.

Ditto this, but this is coming from the girl who called the cops on her own brother once for dropping acid when we were teens.  One stomach pumping and he didn't do that again.  But I digress. 

preemiemom

I love what Praline said. I think many people that jump to say you should call CPS or the police have no idea what being "in the system" is like for kids. My parents smoked pot while I was growing up ( but never around us, we just figured it out as we got older) and I don't think I'm any worse for wear. My parents were hippies turned professionals who believed smoking pot was no worse than having a glass of wine. If the parents are otherwise loving and attentive I think the kids will be fine. But you should def. call the nieghbors about its effect on your apartment.

Purrrfect433

praline:

See this is interesting to me that everyone says call the police.  I know pot is illegal, but I don't think it should be, so that may color my opinion.

If your neighbor were chain smoking cigarettes in front of their kids, would you call the cops?  What about if your neighbor got drunk alot?  Not drunk and whaling on the kids and breaking down doors, just drunk.  I know pot is illegal and therefore I know that calling the cops may seem appropriate and people anti-drug and all that...I just think it's so interesting how many parents out there use and abuse legal substances all the time around their kids and no one would ever think to call the cops. 

I would try to confront the situation more directly at first, unless there were other distrubing things going on at the apartment.  And I DON'T think smoking anything around your kids is a good idea and I don't ever ever ever smoke anything around my kid or otherwise. 

Also I think Puurf should not have to smell the smoke in her apartment but I think the best way to take care of that is by talking to the neighbors themselves or if that seems unwise to her based on what their like, to talk to ownership.

See, this is why I'm conflicted about what to do. I agree with you on all your points. I don't think children should be exposed to drug-use, though, even if I don't neccessarily think pot is a harmful drug. Do I want them to stop smoking in front of their kids? Yes. But, do I think they should have the police involved, possibly impacting their family life over pot? Not at all. The seems like loving parents, albiet immature. The kids are clean and happy(maybe happy from the contact high).  I think I'll just let the property-management know about it and let them handle it.

happ17

I would say it REALLY depends on the neighbor. If they're the type to hold a grudge or retaliate, then I'd go straight to the cops. Going to building management, or confronting them yourself, gives you no ptotection of anonymity.

 

JOEBunny

Mind my own business, unless they otherwise seem like awful parents.  If they are generally good with the children, I think the short term damage to their health is no worse than what a lot of other parents do.  My own DH grew up in a house with a cigarette smoker, I don't think his mother was a bad mom.  My dad smoked cigars and drink scotch most nights, he was not a bad dad.  I guess I don't see the difference, other than pot is arbitrarily illegal (no I don't smoke pot).

elm1032004

I'm having a crappy day, so right about now I'd go knock on their door and ask them if I could borrow a joint.

Ok....not really but I would call the apt. manager and start there....

Aliliv

At the least, confront the neighbors.    They're pot smoking is directly affecting you - you'd probably complain about the smell, no matter what is was, right?  I probably would too.  As for smoking around the kids?  I think it's unbelievable irresponsible to smoke around children, regardless of the kind.  Then, add to the bag, that it's pot, something that is mind-altering, it is even more irresponsibly, especially if both parents are regularly high around their kids.  (I don't take kindly to both parents getting drunk around their kids, either - at least one person needs to be responsible).   I wouldn't be able to condone that, so do what you must.  I'm not speaking from lack of experience with pot-smokers either.  I've also seen first hand how chronic/regular pot-smoking can affect overall ability to parent.   It sounds like your neighbors are a bit different than having the occasionally "puff."

grja

Other than smoking in front of their children, do they appear to be loving, caring, and overall good parents? If the answer is yes, then I'd start with something subtle like contacting the apartment manager and asking them to say something so they don't hold a grudge against you. If that doesn't seem to work and you are sick of the smell, you might need to call the police.

If they seem like crappy parents who don't seem to care all that much about their kids regardless, then definitely call the police first.

Zenya

august06mom:

sooosie:

firefightersgal:

I would report them to the police.

Ditto this, but this is coming from the girl who called the cops on her own brother once for dropping acid when we were teens.  One stomach pumping and he didn't do that again.  But I digress. 

My face looks just like that now, too.