Smokers face adoption and fostering ban

SMOKERS will be banned from fostering or adopting children, under new rules introduced by Midlothian Council.

Anyone wanting to care for a child under the age of five will be required not to have smoked for at least six months.

The policy will also apply to all children with a disability or respiratory problems such as asthma. All children over five years old will also be given the choice to be placed with a non-smoking family.

Council workers will be offering foster carers and prospective adopters help to quit smoking.

Colin Anderson, the council's director of social work, said the change would only result in the loss of one foster carer.

He said: "It is a balanced approach. We would hope to encourage all carers to stop smoking, but to come in with a blanket approach would impact drastically on the provision we have."

Smoking lobby group Forest said the policy could prevent children being placed with loving and supportive families.