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AZ Mom Blew Pot Smoke Into Baby's Mouth to Calm Her Down, Cops Say

By Cynthia Hsu, Esq. on September 01, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Twenty-one year old Arizona mom Jessica Callaway is accused of blowing marijuana smoke into her baby's mouth.

She also kicked and slapped her 10-month-old daughter.

Some of Callaway's actions were recorded on video by a friend, according to the Phoenix New Times. And, it comes as little surprise that she was arrested on charges of child abuse.

Callaway had several (poor) excuses for her behavior.

First, Callaway told police after she was arrested that she was having a bad day after having trouble finding an appropriate outfit for a night out.

Second, she told police that she would never hit her baby hard enough to leave bruises. Officers found no marks on the baby's leg or face, despite video evidence that Callaway struck the infant.

Third, she says the reason she blew smoke into the baby's mouth was to stop the baby from crying, The Arizona Republic reports.

None of which amount to an excuse to abuse your child.

A parent generally has no valid reason to strike their 10-month-old baby, even if the baby is crying. And, even if the parent is simply having a "bad day." Plus, just because you don't hit the child hard enough to leave a "mark" does not mean that striking the child is acceptable.

Maybe Jessica Callaway will come to realize the errors of her ways. And, that there are more effective ways to calming down a baby that don't involve blowing marijuana smoke into their face. How about singing a nursery rhyme, or rocking them slowly to sleep? All of these would have been better alternatives than illegal drugs.

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