It was a woman who made this stupid statement. And a parent who smokes around children is not "protecting them" from harm, it is inflicting harm on them.
It was not a stupid statement - it is a valid gripe that it is not up to the government to control every aspect of everyone's lives.
The adherence to this idea "there outta be a law" is what is dumbing down this country and causing even the most intelligent and sincere amongst us to agree that what government says is best.
My kid sister had an asthma attack when only a few weeks old. That one was her last. Our family physician told my Father to blow cigarette smoke at her several times a day.
Nipped it in the bud. She's 50 now, due to be a grandmother in a few weeks, and hasn't had a problem since.