Child abuse can be PHYSICAL - shaking, hitting, beating, burning, or biting a child.

Child abuse can be EMOTIONAL - constantly blaming or putting down a child; excessive yelling, shaming.

Child abuse can be SEXUAL - incest, any forced sexual activity, exposure to sexual stimulation not appropriate for the child’s age.

Child abuse can be NEGLECT - a pattern of failure to provide for the child’s physical needs, such as food, clothing, shelter, and medical care; a pattern of failure to provide for the child’s emotional needs, such as affection, attention, and supervision.

But let me ask you this.

I personally know a woman who smokes cigarettes like a chimney. We are not friends just acquaintances. Normally I wouldn’t care because basically my philosophy is: “To each his own.”

However, this particular individual is at least 3 to 4 months pregnant. And to me, that’s a form of child abuse even though it doesn’t fall within the normal child abuse guidelines.

Does anybody else out there think that a woman who smokes cigarettes while she is pregnant is abusing her child? If so, what particular name would you call the abuse?

Also, this woman is totally aware of diseases like down syndrome, emphysema, lung cancer, asthma, etc. but she keeps on puffin’ away despite several warnings from her friends.

To me, the bitch is totally selfish! If given the choice, I doubt if the unborn child would want their mama smoking cigarettes and putting his or her health at risk.

Which is the operative word, “choice”, because the unborn child has no say in the matter. Which is totally unfair! Why the hell would you breathe in a harmful substance like nicotine into your unborn child’s delicate lungs?

For the unborn child’s sake, have some willpower for god’s sake and not smoke! Put the unborn child’s welfare before your own! That’s what a good parent does.

I have another question for you. Do you think that there should be some kind of repercussions for women like this such as jail time, fines or having custody taken away for this or do you think that non-smokers like me should keep their two cents to themselves?

Let me know your opinion on this topic.