The tubby Indonesian toddler who caused a sensation last spring by enthusiastically puffing on cigarettes in a widely viewed video has quit smoking, according to media reports.
Two-year-old Ardi Rizal of South Sumatra, who reportedly smoked 40 cigarettes a day, has broken his nicotine addiction through a 30-day rehabilitation program, the Jakarta Globe reported Thursday.
"He has stopped smoking and doesn't ask for cigarettes anymore," Arist Merdeka Sirait, chairman of Indonesia's National Commission on Child Protection, said, according to another publication, Earth Times.According to earlier reports, the child was placed in state custody after the video emerged and the boy’s parents said he would cry and throw tantrums if he went too long without smoking a cigarette.
Heavy smoking appeared to have caused the boy’s brain to shrink and could cause other health problems later, Sirait said, according to Earth Times.
"He needs to be in a smoking-free environment so that he doesn't start smoking again," Sirait said.
Anti-smoking advocates say Indonesia’s tobacco industry markets its products to children, according to the Globe.
© 2011 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Contact us | Work for us | Help
The Toddler stopped smoking, IE people stopped giving the toddler cigarettes
Phillip Morris et.al. will be watching this closely... there's potentially young market with a lot of potential for growth, not to mention a good way to make money. It's amazing how we can screw ourselves up. The Romans had lead pipes, which they didn't know of the problems, but what we have now? Companies and money telling us what's best
Feelsbadman.jpeg
I don't care who the advertisers market their product to. This is a 2 year-old. Someone has to hand him the cigarettes for crying out loud. I am glad Sumatra's social services took this child away from his DA parents. If these guys were American, I would vote to have them fixed.
Selling my stock in RJ Reynolds...
I think this is really outstanding that this childs parents are progressive enought to let him smoke. His only real problem is his fingers are too fat to hold a lighter.
Why would any parent give there child anything they want we give them what they need. And if the child don't like it then s.o.l! It makes me sick that anyone could do this to there child!
Hey guys, will you visit SAVESTAN . ORG a friend of mine with 4 young babies is fighting for his life.
If he was old enough to read, I'd say it was the Surgeon General warning that convinced him
man this s#$@ is crazy
Ok so some of the comments bring a grin but seriously it is absolutley wrong and inhumane for a 2 year old to be addicted to cigarettes. Clearly at 2 a child does not know right from wrong or even the potential danger that surround them. That is why there are parents. Parents. Protectors and providers. In this case I guess not so much....basically they shouldn't be parents and they child should be taken away and sent to a home where he has the care that he needs. I
its spelled SATAN!!!!!!!!!!
NOT satin
god go to grade school again and im in 6 th grade and i know how to spell satan
not satin
hitler? lol
"Anti-smoking advocates say Indonesia’s tobacco industry markets its products to children, according to the Globe."
It's like that everywhere, it's part of the processed tobacco business model.
Me think I've meet the parents in Jakarta. Splitting image of his father Alvin S.
All of you that are making light of this are fools...............................