A council has become the first in London to rule that smokers will no longer be able to foster children.

Redbridge Council's cabinet agreed Tuesday night to a ban on placing children with foster carers who smoke unless there are exceptional circumstances.

The local authority in northeast London said the decision, which will come into force in 2010, was made to protect children from the "damaging effects of passive and second-hand smoke."

Other councils around the country have introduced similar measures, particularly relating to very young children, but Redbridge's ban is thought to be the most far-reaching.

"We know this is a difficult issue because some people will feel it is an intrusion on personal freedoms," said Councilor Michael Stark.

"But we also know that smoking increases the risk of serious illness in childhood. On balance, we have decided children in our care shouldn't grow up breathing second-hand smoke."

The council cited scientific evidence that showed passive smoking caused lung cancer and childhood respiratory disease.

Existing smokers will be told of the new policy and given help to quit.

The Fostering Network, a charity which represents groups involved in fostering, said it believed no child under five should be placed with carers who smoked.

However the charity, which estimates there is a shortfall of some 10,000 carers, said it did not want potentially good foster parents to be put off because they had an occasional cigarette.

Tobacco lobby groups said the move was part of an "ongoing campaign to stigmatize smokers."

"It's going to exclude people who could be outstanding foster parents," said a spokesman for pro-smoking group Forest.

"It sends out an insidious message that smokers in general are unfit parents and I don't think any politician has the right to do that."

英國倫敦某區政府日前通過一項禁令，規定吸煙者不可收養小孩。這一禁令在倫敦還是首例。

位于倫敦東北部的雷德布里奇區內閣于上周二晚通過該禁令。禁令規定，除非有特殊情況，否則吸煙者不可收養小孩。

雷德布里奇區政府稱，決定頒布這一禁令是為了讓兒童免受被動吸煙或 “二手煙”的危害。該禁令將于2010年開始實施。

英國其他一些地方政府也采取了類似的禁煙措施，尤其針對一些年齡很小的孩子。但雷德布里奇的這項禁令被認為是其中影響最大的。

議員邁克爾-斯塔克說：“我們知道這是一個艱難的決定，因為一些人會覺得這侵犯了他們的個人自由?！?/P>

他說：“但同時，我們也很清楚吸煙會增加兒童患疾病的風險。經過權衡后，我們決定，不應該讓生活在我們這一轄區的孩子受到二手煙危害?！?/P>

雷德布里奇地區政府稱，有科學證據表明，被動吸煙會導致肺癌和兒童呼吸道疾病。

該區政府將告知吸煙者這一新政策，并會幫助他們戒煙。

兒童領養慈善機構“領養社區”稱，五歲以下的兒童的確不能由吸煙者領養。

但該組織稱，他們也擔心一些條件很好但偶爾吸煙的人也會因此被拒之門外。目前該機構還需要約1萬名領養者，

煙草業游說團體稱，此舉是“對吸煙者的一種污辱’”。

吸煙支持組織Forest的發言人說：“這項禁令會把一些很出色的領養者拒之門外。”

“這等于是在說，吸煙的人都不適合做父母?？烧l都沒有剝奪別人做父母的權利?！?/P>