Things to Feel Good About Today: I'm Not Cigarette Smoking Baby's Mom

I'm a health writer for my day job, so I keep tabs on the health news. Yesterday the sensation was "Butt Smoking Baby." That is, "Cigarette Butt Smoking Baby." Not sure the author of the first news service article I read passed headline writing class.


Sadly, the Sumatran toddler is shown smoking a cigarette in a video that was posted on You Tube. While the video is progressing there is the sound of cameras clicking away. It seems the Cigarette smoking baby is a tourist attraction of sorts.

This has sparked international outrage. It's sad.

While we were in the islands several years ago, there was a pig trained to drink beer. It was a tourist attraction and we took a bus to go see the act in this impoverished part of Antigua. This image reminds me of that. My guess is the parents started it as a joke or maybe the kid just started on his own.

Or could all this attention be what the parents wanted? The clicking cameras make it feel like an exploitation of the child.

Anti-smoking groups are calling on the Indonesian government to get involved and put a stop to toddler Ardi Ridal's shocking habit.

Advertisers are being blamed.

Outraged people are calling for new laws.

Meanwhile hits on the video are climbing.

Today I count my blessings:

1. I am not the mother of a child who is an international outrage.
2. My child is not chain smoking with a two pack a day habit.
3. My home is not swarming with reporters making me doubt my parenting choices.

Yes, things are looking pretty good. It's going to be a good day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ran8ZgE7uT0