A mother has been arrested after a video of her one-year-old baby smoking a small cigar sparked outrage on social media this week.
The short video shows an adult hand holding what appears to be a cigarillo to the child's lips. The child then appears to inhale and puff smoke.
Social media users reported the Facebook video to authorities in North Carolina and then helped identify 20-year-old Brianna Ashanti Lofton.
She has been charged with felony child abuse, contributing to delinquency and possession of marijuana, Raleigh police said in a news release. The baby has been placed with child protective services.
"We appreciate the public's help in this matter," said police spokesman Lieutenant Jason Hodge. "We welcome and encourage any assistance the public is willing to give us at all times."
The News & Observer reported that the arrest warrant said the mother inflicted harm by having the child inhale marijuana smoke from a blunt.
According to ABC11, a Wake County judge set a $100,000 secured bond for Lofton. She could face up to 17 years in jail if convicted.
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