During World Breastfeeding Week, I remember reading a blog entry that was linked from one of the many breastfeeding articles, blogs, and forum discussions that were prominently linked or displayed on some of the social networking sites I belong to. I'm not sure where the actual link came from, but the blog stood out in my mind. I'm not even sure it was a blog, it could have very well been an article or editorial, but the actual source wasn't my focus, it was the subject matter.
The woman who wrote the essay, I'll call it, was intending to bring to light the fact that nursing in public is legal and a woman's right as much as smoking is. She discussed how she felt it was wrong to hold your breath or move on quickly past smokers or make rude comments because they are practicing their legal right to smoke. The same should be done for nursing mothers - rather than balk, make rude comments, or expect the mother to cover up or find another place to nurse, you should just go about your business because they are practicing their legal right to nurse in public.
While I understand the point she was trying to make, and agree with her position on nursing in public, I don't agree that it is the same as smoking in public. Yes, both are perfectly legal, I get that, but smoking has a much more profound affect on those not participating in the activity than nursing does.
When a mother is nursing in public, an offended or disturbed onlooker simply has to avert their eyes and move on. There is no one holding them in that spot or requiring them to watch a woman feed her baby. There is no need for them to focus in that particular direction.
The same is not so for walking by or seeing a smoker. When passing a smoker, one can hold their breath, but that does not mean that they are free from the ill effects that can occur from going past or being around that person. Even if the passerby made a point not to breathe, third-hand smoke (the smoke that settles on clothing and has been proven to be just as harmful as second-hand smoke) can still cause harm to the health of the person going by long after they passed the individual. Not to mention, an adult may know to hold their breath to protect themselves from the ill-effects of second-hand smoke, but a young child or infant doesn't know to do the same. The system of a baby is not even mature yet. Add that to the fact that many smokers ignore the laws that require them to smoke far away from entrances to public locations and it brings in a whole new set of problems. Above all, even a smoker who is following the law, can blow smoke into the air that can be carried by the wind and travel to a location near an entrance or near an individual that doesn't care to be negatively impacted by second- or third-hand smoke.
So, I would have to argue, that my health is negatively affected by someone smoking in public and I am not affected at all by someone nursing in public. They both may be legal, but they are not the same.
*As an added note: I am sorry if I offend someone who chooses to smoke, but I do not appreciate my efforts to keep my children healthy and free from the harmful effects of second- and third-hand smoke being unavoidably shattered simply because "it's legal". I don't say anything because as the original writer of the essay mentioned, it is within their rights. However, if you do choose to smoke, I beg you to respect those of us that choose not to and at least follow the law and smoke in approved areas. I know you can't change which way the wind blows, but you can do your part to respect the rights of others.
