What are your opinions on parents using physical "punishment" on their kids?

All kids need discipline and of course there is a difference between abuse and discipline. Hitting a child is abuse. Nobody had a reason to hit a child. What is that's telling them? It's basically telling them it's ok to hit someone when you lose your temper.

@lucetta12: Like i said, I don't agree if its used excessively because then it turns into a routine which may harm the kid. If used within reason it shows the kid that he/she has repecussions of acting or doing what they did, and by spanking I don't mean a smack to the face.