Call it what you want, but kids do model their parent's behavior. Smoking does greatly increase the likelihood of lung cancer. Why would you want to model a dangerous habit?
(Don't misinterpet - government has no business telling you what to do in your own house. Smoking around your kids is a moral issue).
Let's be careful here. No doubt smoking cigarettes does direct damage to the smoker.
As for modeling as a parent, once a kid is a certain age, they are going to make their own decisions on things like smoking or drinking. My dad never touched a drop, and I like bourbon. Mom smoked, and never drank, but smoked a tremendous amount of marijuana.
I don't smoke, don't smoke weed, but drink moderately (glass of wine a week or so).
Is smoking moral or immoral if done in front of children? Well, drinking is far worse than smoking. Alcohol is among the most addictive drugs on the planet. There are definite confirmed links between alcohol use and bad parenting in general.
Having said all that, what's worse: having the occassional cigarette in front of junior, or having two beers a night after work in front of junior?
I think being morbidly obese is FAR, FAR, WORSE an example to set for kids than drinking or smoking. Talk about modeling, and its effects on future behaviour? The parents eating habits have a lot to do with the way your kids are going to eat - that's medical fact. Is it bad for the kid? Almost always.
I think that one of the most important attributes of parenting has little to do with things like your vices. My father worked three jobs, while my mother dissolved herself and made our lives miserable.
My dad, every single time we were with him, paid undivided attention to us. We didn't feel like luggage, and we didn't feel like we were his friends. When we got out of line, he'd whack us, but that was the end of it, and because he cared about experiencing life with him in the daily stuff he did, I turned out very nicely, and I also found Christ in the bargain (THAT was modeling, as Dad went to church with us EVERY Sunday, without fail).
I want my kids to respect me so that I can discipline their behavior and have it mean something. I want them to know that when I'm with them, I'm involved completely in them, no matter what it is we do together.
Overworking is a dangerous habit. Downhill skiing is a dangerous habit.
Smoking and drinking in front of your kids: I can't even say its less than optimal. I can absolutely say its bad for you personally if you do it.
So, which is worse? 180 pound guy having a cigarette in the garage while he's working on his car with his boy, or the 320 pound dad stuffing another cheeseburger in his maw while his 3 year old sits in front of his happy meal?
Now, at which point should we attach some sort of morality to any of this. I'd just as soon stay away from whether any or all of this is 'moral'.
Two men shoot two separate other men at point blank range in the face. Which one committed an immoral act? I'd submit we don't have enough data.
One thing for definites, we let these morons tell us what we can do in our own homes, and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that context will have nothing to do with whatever proscriptions on behaviour they will feel justified in foisting.
"Smoking does greatly increase the likelihood of lung cancer."
Really? Then riddle me this, dogman, why does the highest per capita smoking population in the world have the lowest per capita heart and lung disease incidence in the world?