Child abuse by secondhand smoke

It was a beautiful spring afternoon, and several of my neighbors were sitting out on their porches and balconies.

One of them, however, got my blood boiling.

She was holding a young child, about 1 year old, on her lap. At the same time, she was smoking a cigarette and blowing the smoke right past the child's head. There is no way that the child could have avoided inhaling her mother's smoke.

Below are some facts on the dangers of exposing children to secondhand smoke, as outlined on the EPA website:

• Exposure to secondhand smoke can cause asthma in children who have not previously exhibited symptoms.

• Exposure to secondhand smoke increases the risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

• Infants and children younger than 6 who are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk of lower respiratory track infections, such as pneumonia and bronchitis.

• Children who regularly breathe secondhand smoke are at increased risk for middle ear infections.

While I respect the mother's right to kill herself with cigarettes, I believe her rights end where her daughter's airspace begins. The daughter has a right to a healthy environment, and that means the right to smoke-free air to breathe.

Given the clear dangers associated with secondhand smoke, that mother's choice to expose her child to it is, in my opinion, nothing short of child abuse.

There should be fines imposed for this sort of thing. Hefty ones.