Would This Be Allowed Today?

I have been reading H. W. Brands biography of Theodore Roosevelt, T. R.: The Last Romantic. Teddy Roosevelt suffered from asthma as a young lad. This is a malady that afflicts both my wife and son. On page 23 of the book, Brand gives words from young Teddy's diary, recorded while the family was vacationing in Europe, "I was sick of the Asthma last night. I sat up for 4 successive hours and Papa made me smoke a cigar." Earlier in the book, Brands notes that smoking was a sort of folk remedy for asthma in the late 1800s.

When my wife was younger, and early in the struggle with her asthma, and a doctor told her that if she ever smoked she would be dead. Smoking is a common trigger for asthma.

It is just a demonstration of how attitudes change. What if you did that now? Social Services would be all over the case.