Friday, May 28, 2010

Young Cigarette Addict

tSo many strange and shocking stories about what's happening in Indonesia have been reported by the mass media in the last few months.

One of them is about a 2-years old boy who has been addicted to cigarettes, which is so disgusting for me that I have been trying to avoid writing about it. I never thought that any parents could ever let their very young son (a baby?) become cigarette addict.

Please find below a blog post about this matter that I have quoted from my friend Anastasia F-B (anatheimp@blogspot.com) in London.

Tobacco Boy


I read a truly shocking story today in the Daily Mail about a two-year old boy in Indonesia who has a forty-a-day cigarette habit. Yes, that's right, forty a day! Ardi Razal's health has been ruined and he now struggles to move himself, according to the report. His mother, Diana, says that he is totally addicted. All of her attempts to stop his puffing have been abandoned in the face of his tantrums;

If he doesn't get cigarettes, he gets angry and screams and batters his head against the wall. He tells me he feels dizzy and sick.

His father, Mohammed Razal, a fishmonger living in Musi Banyuasin in South Sumatra, does not seem to see a problem, believing his son looks perfectly healthy. All I can say is that he needs to look just a little harder. More than that, he needs to ask himself how healthy his son is likely to be by the age of ten, assuming he ever makes it that far.

Although this would appear to be an extreme example, Indonesian authorities are worried by the number of young children taking to smoking in a culture where tobacco is king. According to official statistics, 25% of children between three and fifteen have tried cigarettes, and there has been a sharp increase in smoking among those aged between five and nine.

The usual panaceas are being offered as solutions; that there needs to be a ban on tobacco advertising and a campaign illustrating the effects of passive smoking. This does not, it seem to me, to go anywhere near understanding why, and by what means, children as young as two have become hardened smokers.

We all have choices to make in life, risks we freely chose to take with our eyes open. Ardi Razal clearly did not acquire his habit by free choice or overnight. Admittedly without knowing all of the facts -the report does not make the precise circumstances of his addiction to tobacco clear- I can only conclude that his parents are feckless, irresponsible or uncaring, perhaps a combination of all three.

29 comments:

Katie said...

This is so sad, to see him smoke that cigarette. So sad to see a toddler already addicted.

Tay823 said...

This is pretty disgusting and almost unreal.

Unknown said...

Yes, I posted a story about the matter in:
http://kiwiriverman.blogspot.com THE KIWI RIVERMAN POST this very week. As I said it is highly irresponsib;e on the part of his father.

peter

Madison said...

At first I didn't believe this was real. Iw as waiting for the punch line. I can't believe that a two year old was ever allowed near a cigarette let alone enough to become addicted. And as for his father thinking he is healthy. Forget the cigarette, the kid is obviously obese as well. Exactly what role are the parents playing in this kids upbringing?

Unknown said...

@Katie,
Very sad indeed.

@Tay823,
Very disgusting and unbelievable.

@Peter,
I'll check your blog post which I think would be interesting as usual.

@Madison,
The parents, especially the father, has been irresponsible, ignorant, and destructive to his own son.

colson said...

It blows one's mind ...

I wonder though what's this story is telling us. Maybe it once more confirms that reality beats the most extreme imagination if it comes to outrageous fact.

Unknown said...

Hi Colson,
It really is mind blowing.
It shows the dangerous effect of smoking and parents irresponsibility.

Unknown said...

Lost for words.The child obviously knows no better. His future is very much dependent on his parents.So we have to look to the parents to know how this fiasco started, how they replace milk with tobacco.Can someone save this baby?

forexwatch said...

The Parents should be blamed and punished.

kangtatang said...

now we see how bad tobacco's is...
Are we still let it around us?

Unknown said...

@Umihoney,
Yes it is the parents who are to blame for the toddler's smoking.
The dept of health and children commission are handling this matter.

@Forexwatch,
If I am wrong the police has questioned the parents.

@Kang Tatang,
This is one of the effect of too much cigarette promotions.

jeanlivingsimple said...

This is such a shocking story!

Unknown said...

Jean,
It is a very shocking story.

Francesco said...

I've read about this fact in the italian news too: I did not understand why his father was not worried about this fact.. but from reading your blog it seems that tobacco is almost a culture presence in indonesia: a very big problem. Thank you for let me understand this fact.

Anastasia F-B said...

It breaks my heart. This little boy is unlikely to to reach adulthood. For me it has to count as a case of child cruelty.

Unknown said...

@Fransesco,
Yes this is a very big problem for us. Our culture, like most cultures in the world, do not allow underage children, especially not toddlers, to smoke. If many of them smoke its because they do it either their parents don't know and/or very irresponsibly ignorant.
The authorities are taking care of this case.

@Anatasia,
Thank you very much for allowing me to quote this post. I always admire your writing skills.
Re: Tobacco Boy
Yes the parents especially the father can be considered as committing child cruelty which is a punishable crime according to our child protection law.lonsi

E. Cigs said...

Recommended: that certain people consult with their doctors if they have a sensitivity or allergy to nicotine, or if they have respiratory disease, or weak hearts. Also, pregnant or breastfeeding women and people under the legal age should stay away from any type of smoking.

Unknown said...

E.Cigs,
Thank you for your recommendation.

Joye 510 said...

Smokers in many countries can be fined for flicking a lit cigarette.

Sunglasses wholesale said...

The kid is obviously obese as well. Exactly what role are the parents playing in this kids upbringing?

Unknown said...

@Joye510,
In Jakarta (capital of Indonesia) people will be fined if they smoke in many places for education, prayer, shopping malls, and many other places.

@Sunglasses Wholesale,
He is obese. Thank God he has stopped his smoking habit.

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e-cigarette said...

Smoking is happening all over the place because Indonesia is a no-smoking ban country.

Unknown said...

@E-Cigarette,
Although we do not ban smoking but we have regulations that restricted smoking in public.

John said...

I heard he's smoking 40 cigarettes a day. That's too much for a 2-year-old boy. I hope they can help him to stop smoking or if not, limit the cigarettes.

cheap cigarettes

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Jorge said...

Smoking can harm anyone, the danger is secondhand smoke .. sad to see children who were smoking photo above.

angel said...

Young people are better off not smoking, too small, hurting the body.
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