Breastfeeding advocates, on this the second day of World Breastfeeding Week, must be delighted to see smoking, trans fat, and infant formula sharing the same stage.

A discussion of the issues leading up to the ban was the topic of several posts on baby gooroo® - Formula for Disaster, NYC: A Breastfeeding Friendly Metropolis, and It’s Not About Formula - It’s About Ethics.

It should come as no surprise that the NYC ban has its critics - those who assert that the ban will make women who are unable to breastfeed or choose not to breastfeed feel guilty.

Consider this:

When people are healthy, everyone benefits - physically, emotionally, and financially. It’s far more cost effective to keep people healthy then it is to treat acute and chronic disease.

When health care professionals and health care facilities distribute materials on behalf of for-profit companies, they are serving as sales representatives for those companies. They need to be recognized as such, and paid accordingly. Health care professionals and health care institutions have clearly defined roles - health maintenance, disease prevention, and disease treatment.

When health care professionals and health care facilities distribute samples, that is an implied endorsement of that product whether it be artificial baby milk or life insurance.

When health care professionals and health care facilities distribute commercial products, the cost of every sample is reflected in the price of the product when purchased by consumers - samples are not FREE.

When mothers make informed decisions they do not feel guilty - they feel empowered. More importantly, those decisions should not be influenced by gift-giving - large or small.

Truth be told, this is not about cigarettes, cigars, cupcakes, french fries, or artificial baby milk - this is about HEALTH.

Truth be told, this is not about breastfeeding or bottle-feeding - this is about health care professionals and health care institutions having clearly defined ROLES and RESPONSIBILITIES.

Truth be told, this is not about guilt - this is about GREED.

I applaud the initiative being taken by the NYC Health Department and encourage other health care facilities to follow their lead.