A video of a father who offers a lit cigarette to a toddler who then smokes it has caused uproar in the social media.

As the topless man passes the cigarette back and forth to the toddler, a woman can be heard laughing from behind the camera.

The footage is just over two minutes long and is believed to have been filmed in Russia.

The young boy is seen putting the cigarette in his mouth and making feeble drags on it as his father encourages him.

The boy laughs and claps his hands as he is yet again given the cigarette.

When the man playfully refuses him, the child makes crying noises, and soon points to the fresh packet on the table.

Astonishingly, the father gives the child a new cigarette and lights it for him.

The video appeared on LiveLeak on Wednesday and has since been picked up on youtube, has outraged many people who have written in to condemn the behaviour of the adults in the video.