Exposing children to secondhand smoke is abuse and should be made illegal in every U.S. state.

My thanks as well to my opponent.___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (1) “Can cause” implies a risk. It has the potential to cause serious harm, and therefore it is a risk. “Does Pro establish that by that say secondhand smoke will imminently cause all the health conditions?” If Con means to say, “Does pro establish that by saying that secondhand smoke will imminently cause all the health conditions?” then firstly, Con disregarded the use of the word “risk”. The word “will” should not be used in that context, regardless of the primary definition of “imminent”. This is because “imminent” was used as an adjective of the word “risk”. The word “risk” would cancel out any appropriate use of the word “will” prior to the words “cause serious harm” or “imminently cause all the health conditions”. By the definition provided, child abuse is something that “causes an imminent risk of serious harm”, and not necessarily something that “will imminently cause serious harm”. And since the word “imminent” was used as an adjective for the word “risk”, I believe it would be appropriate to assume that the definition has a contextual variance. “A risk about to happen” lacks clarity. Thus, I think that it would be reasonable to say that the definition is implying an alternative, more contextually appropriate definition of the word “imminent”, which is “hanging threateningly over one's head” (source: http://www.merriam-webster.com...). In context, it would be an overhanging risk. (2) Regarding sources (a) Con states that my sources are all “non-smoking advocacy and lobbying groups”. The first source I provided was the CDC. The CDC, which is not a lobby group because lobby groups are (to my knowledge) interest groups, and the CDC is not an interest group, but rather, a federal agency. Most of the information found in the CDC’s article came from a Surgeon General report: (http://www.surgeongeneral.gov...)Also, one of Con's source quotes references the CDC ("...the researchers said, although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still calculate...") which implies that despite Con stating that all of my sources were unreliable, Con finds the CDC a reliable source. The second source I provided (Healthychidren.org) is a site run by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which is also not a lobbying group. The American Academy of Pediatrics sourced to themselves, which is lacking, of course, and I included the source simply because I believed that organization was seemingly reliable. I confess that this was shortsighted of me. I find it understandable if Con wishes to disregard any information found exclusively in that article (that information being that secondhand smoke can cause tooth decay) as uncertain, simply because said article did not source to specific medical studies. The third source that I provided was an anti-smoking interest group. However, said source sourced to external scientific articles as a basis for the information they provided. However, I now realize that such sourcing is indirect and far from preferable. Thus, here is a list of the direct sources of the relevant information found in the third source: Cognitive impairment: Button, T.M.M.; Thapar, A.; and McGuffin, P., "Relationship between antisocial behavior, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and maternal prenatal smoking," British Journal of Psychiatry: 2005. (http://bjp.rcpsych.org...) Potera, C., "Secondhand behavioral problems," Environmental Health Perspectives: 2007. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov...) SIDS: Woodward, A. and Laugesen M., "How many deaths are caused by secondhand cigarette smoke?" Tobacco Control: December 2001.(PDF) -- (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov...) McMartin, K.I.; Platt, M.S.; Hackman, R.; Klein, J.; Smialek, J.E.; Vigorito, R.; Koren, G., "Lung tissue concentrations of nicotine in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)," Journal of Pediatrics: 2002.(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov...) Lung development/function, metabolic syndrome, and adult respiratory disease Svanes, C.; Omenaas, E.; Jarvis, D.; Chinn, S.; Gulsvik, A.; Burney, P., "Parental smoking in childhood and adult obstructive lung disease: results from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey," Thorax 59: 2004. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov...) Weitzman, M., et. al, "Tobacco Smoke Exposure Is Associated With the Metabolic Syndrome in Adolescents," Circulation: 2005. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov...) Skorge T D, Eagan T M, Eide G E. et al, The adult incidence of asthma and respiratory symptoms by passive smoking in utero or in childhood. Am J Respir Crit Care Med: 2005 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov...) (b) Con provided sources with evidence that secondhand smoke exposure does not cause lung cancer. I claimed that secondhand smoke could cause many specific health issues. However, I did not claim that secondhand smoke causes lung cancer. Therefore, any claims that secondhand smoke exposure during childhood does not cause lung cancer lack relevance. (3) Distinguishing between the different forms of abuseCon stated, "Given Con’s demonstration that the evidence, definitions, and arguments there is no reason to move to the second contention that states should make secondhand smoke on par with physical abuse and molestation, a felony charge."Clear-cut physical abuse and sexual molestation are not the only forms of abuse. "Child abuse" is an umbrella term for a number of crimes with differing consequences. I did not suggest that all forms of abuse are equal or that each form of abuse should be subject to the same legal consequences, which is why I believe that Con's use of the idiom "on par" is misplaced. For example, a person who regularly brutually beats their child will likely be given more time in jail than a person who places their child's life in danger by leaving their child in a very hot car, simply because of intent. However, both acts strip the child of their right to safety and fit the legal definition of child abuse.