North Platte, Neb. ? North Platte Police Chief Martin Gutschenritter says he believes parents who expose their children to secondhand smoke in a vehicle should be charged with child abuse.

Gutschenritter’s stance comes after U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona’s recent condemnation of secondhand smoke. Carmona’s 670-page study on the issue concluded that secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance but a serious health hazard.

Gutschenritter said secondhand smoke around children is “the most insidious form of child abuse.”

Carmona implored smoking parents to indulge in their habit outdoors, adding that opening a window in a house or a car will not protect children from secondhand smoke.

“With that in mind, we are researching to determine whether law enforcement has probable cause to arrest anyone exposing children to secondhand smoke inside a vehicle,” Gutschenritter said.

Lincoln County Attorney Jeff Meyer did not return a phone message left at his residence.

Nebraska law defines child abuse as placing a minor child in a situation that endangers his or her life or physical or mental health. The act can be caused either knowingly, intentionally or negligently.

Secondhand smoke is believed to contribute to some children developing asthma and other respiratory problems.

“If you look at the state statute regarding child abuse, and if you look at the surgeon general’s report, we believe that it’s a clear violation,” Gutschenritter said. “The fact that the injury isn’t immediate, we feel is irrelevant.”

Child abuse is a Class I misdemeanor, which carries a penalty of up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine.