He is a 4 year old staying with his parents in Malang, Indonesia. The parents, Mulud Riadi, 52, and his wife Moedjiati, 41, encouraged his smoking habit.
Despite his age, the child is a chain smoker and is proficient in swearing - habits instilled in him by his parents.
The boy's case came to light with a video on YouTube showing him puffing on a cigarette. The footage has since been removed for violating the website's rules.
The boy's parents said he began smoking when he was 19 months old, when Mulud, the father, claimed to have found him "enjoying a cigarette wrapped in a corn husk".
When asked where he got the cigarette, he said someone had given it to him - according to the father - but none of the neighbors said they'd given him any cigarette.
Mulud said the boy had since smoked regularly, and would throw a fit and start swearing when asked by his parents to stop.
The Indonesia's child protection services, had previously wanted to have the boy taken away to Jakarta for rehabilitation by the National Commission for Child Protection. The commission initially planned to place him under the custody of the Social Services Ministry in Jakarta for treatment, but later opted not to take the 4-year-old boy from his parents.
The commission head, Seto Mulyadi had met with Mulud and Moedjiati at their home in Malang to discuss the rehab program for their son. The couple refused to let the commission seek help for the boy after a 15-minute talk. Instead, they "promised" to protect the child from the negative impacts of "the surroundings", with the help of Harianto, 23, who for some reason is regarded as the infant's "best friend".
Seto said the environment the boy was growing up in were not so bad that he couldn't slowly be weaned of his habit, adding there was thus no urgent call to bring him to Jakarta.
He urged everyone to change their views about the child.
"The child is the victim in this case of abuse by adults. The negative influence in his environment should also be categorized as abuse, mostly psychological."
Seto said the case should prompt the government to immediately enforce the anti-tobacco law.
"The law should provide a ban on cigarette companies from advertising in the media," he said.
"This should help reduce the number of children who take up smoking."
He added the 4-year-old had a "normal psychological profile".
Indonesia's children between the ages of 4 and 9 made up about 1.9 percent of the total population of smokers, according to Seto, as was reported in The Jakarta Post/ANN, published April 7, 2010.
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2 similar scenarios added up...This said article is already heart wrenching enough...
John Tung Foundation, an organisation to promote the Respect for Life and Health for All in Taiwan had launched a nationwide search to hunt down a man who encourages a child, believed to be below three years old, to smoke and drink.
The Taiwanese have pledged to catch the middle-age man and bring him to book for his "unforgiven misconduct".
Its Tobacco Hazard Prevention Section chief Lin Ching-li said members would inform the Department of Health of the man's behaviour. They would also seek help from the Ministry of the Interior to hunt him down, China Times, published April 26, 2010, reported.
The exposure of two video clips about him giving a cigarette and beer to the boy he carried in his arms, sparked outrage and anger in Taiwan - the clips were uploaded to the island's popular website Wu Ming Xiao Zhan.
In the video, the man was seen offering a cigarette to the child as several others surrounding them helped to block the wind and lighted up the cigarette.
The man then asked the boy to show the "audiences" how to flick off the ash.
He also gave a can of beer to the boy and asked him to drink it - It was obvious that the man is not the child's father as he had asked the boy to call him Ah Pek (uncle).
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NO WORDS CAN DESCRIBE THE PENT UP FEELINGS IN ME!!!
2 comments:
Hello Ummie, This the first time I read something like this. Really sad when parents let this happen to their young kids.
The government or child authorities should take action with them and help the kids.
Who knows, it might next lead to drugs.
You stay easy Ummie and keep well, Lee.
Uncle Lee,
Well said - The concerned guardians should be reeducated on How To Be A Normal Person.
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