I know from raising several children of my own that you can teach a child right from wrong. You can teach them to respect others and the property of others. You can attempt to guide them lovingly and properly into adulthood, but there are always going to be children who do not respond to loving guidance. No, of course not. But I truly believe that this mother showed the ultimate love for her child by resorting to these desperate means to keep her son safe from harm until she could find a more appropriate means of help for him.
Desperate people do desperate things.
I, for one, am not willing to judge this woman harshly or declare her acts criminal without walking a mile or two in her shoes. At Philip Morris U.S.A., we are working hard to meet society's expectations of how tobacco products should be marketed and sold. We are committed to playing an active part in reducing the incidence of youth smoking. All letters should include a name, address, occupation, telephone number and, except for e-mail, a signature. Only the name, city of residence and occupation are published.