Two-year Old Baby Smokes 40 Cigarettes a Day

Recently there have been many stories about a baby in Indonesia who chain smokes cigarettes every day. Reportedly his father started him smoking because the baby was suffering from a hernia, but was too young to have surgery. Smoking cigarettes was started as a form of pain relief. Nicotine is addictive, and the baby is now addicted. He now throws tantrums if he doesn’t get his daily dose of cigarettes, media outlets have been reporting. Sources have alleged the baby was actually allowed to start smoking at the age of 18 months.

To many people, allowing such a young child to smoke (even introducing the baby to cigarettes) is very shocking. In Indonesia though, tobacco control regulations reportedly are weak, and the tobacco industry is strong. Advertising campaigns there are allowed to encourage the very young to smoke. A story from the Irish Examiner stated the government there receives billions of dollars each year in revenues from tobacco sales.

Indonesian Child Protection Commission chairman Hadi Supeno said, “There are many children under five years of age who have started smoking. A decade ago, the average age of beginner smokers was 19, but a recent study found that the average is seven.”

Such an extreme situation is instantly recognized by anyone as very unhealthy for a baby, or any child. However, many children around the world are also exposed to secondhand smoke in the home. Some parents smoke around their children, and the children inhale cigarette smoke from breathing the air. Lung cancer and heart health problems have been linked to secondhand smoke exposure.

Even if parents smoke outside, children still absorb some of the nicotine, said a research study about smoking and exposure. From a summary of the study, “Even if cigarettes are not smoked near a baby, cigarette fumes may contaminate dust that settles in carpets, on toy and furniture surfaces and on the floor. These objects can remain contaminated for several months!”

Some key facts about secondhand smoke exposure:

“Secondhand smoke exposure causes disease and premature death in children and adults who do not smoke. ”

“Secondhand smoke contains hundreds of chemicals known to be toxic or carcinogenic, including formaldehyde, benzene, vinyl chloride, arsenic ammonia and hydrogen cyanide.”

“Secondhand smoke causes approximately 3,400 deaths from lung cancer and 22,700 to 69,600 deaths from heart disease each year.”

The facts above are from the American Lung Association website.

Image: itnnews, YouTube

Read more: Babies, Children, Do Good, Family, Health, smoking

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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KS G.

6:06AM PDT on May 2, 2012

Thanks for the article.

send a green star

Trudi G.

11:54AM PDT on Mar 22, 2012

Altthough I was a light smoker prior to either of my pregnancies, as soon as I became pregnant, I was unable to tolerate the smell, or thought of smoking- so I didn't smoke a single cigarette on either occasion....had I realised what we all know now, I would never have started again once the baby was born...however, in 1979 I quit, and, save for a brief period when I smoked grass together with the current boyfriend of the time, I haven't had a cigarette since. I am a really lucky person, in that I am not addictive, so never get hooked on anything.......I feel really sorry for those people who find themselves unable to quit, and am SO glad that I'm not one of them.
As for the 2 year-old who smokes- what is the remedy? Too late to hang his father.....but not too late to say 'No' to the kid- I don't care how many tantrums he throws- he'd have to pack it in eventually- and let's face it- he can scarcely toddle down to the corner shop and buy his fags- can he?

Carol Ann O.

8:29AM PST on Feb 24, 2012

Even as a trying to quit smoker for all my life.. I din`t make my baby smoke when I was pregnant. I wanted to every minute, but the ultra sound picture of a baby in utero smoking stopped me cold. This is a crime !

Michele W.

8:44AM PST on Feb 20, 2012

I remember this story.
Sad.

Teresa W.

8:43AM PST on Feb 20, 2012

Well said, Nancy!

8:41AM PST on Feb 20, 2012

I've aleady heard of him.

8:40AM PST on Feb 20, 2012

sad

LMj S.

7:38PM PST on Feb 18, 2012

Wow-in shock! thank you for article....

Nancy B.

7:34PM PST on Feb 18, 2012

Sad, sad, sad! It's child abuse even though the father was trying to help the baby. He is stealing the baby's life. This goes to show you how corrupt the tobacco companies are; they only care about profit so they send their poison to poor countries to entice more people to become smokers, thus addicts, and to make the tobacco companies profits.

Harsha V.

6:22PM PST on Feb 18, 2012

The average age of a starting smoker is 7 years!!! That means this is not a one-off case! So sad