Is smoking physical abuse?

Dear all:

My mother smokes. She is in her early sixties. She has spinal stenosis also. She is always in pain because of her back and takes it out and me and my dad. I am 24 but need to save enough money to move out. When I was in High School, I would beg her not to smoke in the car but she did anyhow. I had more migraines than I can count - I was always vomitting and popping Advil. I hate her for doing that to me. She doesn't smoke in our house anymore . . . but I still smell it on her and it makes my nose and eyes hurt. She yells and curses all the time. Even if I not in the room, it hurts me to hear her says things like, "Stupid idiots, $#%^ heads . . . ###$' $#%^". She thinks that because she does it all the time that it doesn't mean anything . . . she isn't yelling at me. She thinks it isn't ABUSE because she has never actually hit me. But WORDS cause scars also. So, does anyone agree with me that smoking is a form of physical abuse? Does anyone agree that yelling is verbal abuse?

Helena24

Hi helena,

the smoking isn't intended to hurt you, but she should smoke away from you if you have requested it,

As far as yelling, she has to outlet her pain and anger someway, as we all do or we'll explode, if she is not yelling at you, but it scares you, she might need to seek anger management classes. So that it doesn't disrupt your life or scare you.

Actually she is hurting herself more than you. It's not a good example to set for you, your mother is addicted the cigerrettes(sp) and quiting is so hard, trust me. And her language could be worked on too. You don't want to talk this way when you are older, just because mom did. It's not lady like.

But with that being said, there are many views on this. I hope you get alot of responses.

This is not meant to take her side and not yours, but when we speak of abuse read this website, it gives all the abuses.
Physical Abuse

Emotional Abuse


Sexual Abuse


Neglect


Shaken Baby
Syndrome


Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome

http://www.preventchildabuse.com/physical.htm

It could classify as neglect, but a mild case of it.

(Gentle hugs,) come back and let us know how you are.

Not such as you describe it, no.

It sounds like there's alot of anger in your house though; you're angry at your mother, your mother's angry (in general).

You really need to move out.

2nd hand smoking is harmful. im an asthmatic and both my parents smoke. alot of the times when they smoke the smoke blows right in my face and when i say something like "please move your cigarette" they tell me to "stop being stupid" or to stop being "dramatic". Them smoking affects ME even more than it affects them.. especially since i am asthmatic.. and they could care less. smoking IS in my opinion physical abuse. if the smoke is killing the people around it.. THAT MURDER.. and MURDER is ILLEGAL.. so yes.. i believe it is physical abuse. its killing people across america every day. so .. yeah lol

Not in legal terms it isn't though.

Can you ask your mom to smoke outside, let her know you do not like breathing that stuff in.