Smoking Children - This Is Outrageous!
@RawBill1 (8531)
Gold Coast, Australia
May 27, 2010 2:01am CST
I heard a story on the radio earlier about a young boy who was smoking up to 40 cigarettes each day! I was shocked to hear this. 
I did not catch the start of the story as I was flicking between stations, but I was really saddened by this so I searched online for it and found this article from an Australian newspaper today. http://www.smh.com.au/world/toddlers-on-tobacco-the-tragedy-of-the-big-picture-20100527-wglf.html?autostart=1
There is even a video of this Indonesian child smoking on the website. It is crazy to think that a child this young can just be sitting there in a crowd of people and smoking. Apparently it is not all that uncommon in Indonesia to see children smoking. 
The article says that one third of Indonesians smoke cigarettes. This is a crazy figure. I would like to hear from any Indonesians here on MyLot and get their opinion on this matter of smoking children.
I hope that this child has been taken into care and can stop this habit before he gets seriously ill or even dies. He will not even reach adulthood if he keeps this up. 
I did not catch the start of the story as I was flicking between stations, but I was really saddened by this so I searched online for it and found this article from an Australian newspaper today. http://www.smh.com.au/world/toddlers-on-tobacco-the-tragedy-of-the-big-picture-20100527-wglf.html?autostart=1
There is even a video of this Indonesian child smoking on the website. It is crazy to think that a child this young can just be sitting there in a crowd of people and smoking. Apparently it is not all that uncommon in Indonesia to see children smoking.
The article says that one third of Indonesians smoke cigarettes. This is a crazy figure. I would like to hear from any Indonesians here on MyLot and get their opinion on this matter of smoking children.
I hope that this child has been taken into care and can stop this habit before he gets seriously ill or even dies. He will not even reach adulthood if he keeps this up. 6 people like this
14 responses
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
27 May 10
tHAT IS TERRIBLE for young children to be doing that. Wonder how in the world that habit ever started w/young people. I am a smoker & started when i was a teen but i didn't want my children to smoke. This is very sad to me.
1 person likes this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
28 May 10
gOOD FOR U FOR GIVING THEM UP. hOPE U HAVE A HAPPY WEEKEND.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
29 May 10
Thank you. I hope that you have a really great weekend also! 
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
28 May 10
Most smokers that I am aware of start when they are teenagers. I remember first smoking when I was about 7. It was not proper smoking though and never as expert looking as the child in the video.
I started smoking properly in my teenage years and gave it away when I became a father 10 years ago. I have not touched one since and am completely against the habit these days. It is disgusting to see someone so young smoking. It is really sad.
I started smoking properly in my teenage years and gave it away when I became a father 10 years ago. I have not touched one since and am completely against the habit these days. It is disgusting to see someone so young smoking. It is really sad. 1 person likes this
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
27 May 10
I think children as well as adults from that part of the world are ignorant of the ill effects of smoking. They smoke because they see their parents smoke. It is indeed sad to see that parents don't stop their children from smoking as they think that smoking does no harm.
1 person likes this
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
27 May 10
OMG! This really is outrageous! I thought the video wasn’t real for a while there, I just couldn’t believe it! It looked like this child has been smoking for a while by the way he is so adept at it! I am shocked and disgusted and different culture or not, it is just wrong, what is going to happen to this child’s body? It is so sad, I hope somebody saves the poor kid...
I thought the video wasn’t real for a while there, I just couldn’t believe it! It looked like this child has been smoking for a while by the way he is so adept at it! I am shocked and disgusted and different culture or not, it is just wrong, what is going to happen to this child’s body? It is so sad, I hope somebody saves the poor kid...1 person likes this
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
28 May 10
It certainly is outrageous Paula and very wrong indeed. 
I felt sickened watching someone so young smoking with obvious experience like he has been doing it for a long time. I hope that the fact that this has come to media attention that child smoking will be stopped over there.
I felt sickened watching someone so young smoking with obvious experience like he has been doing it for a long time. I hope that the fact that this has come to media attention that child smoking will be stopped over there. 1 person likes this
@newtalent (1112)
• United States
27 May 10
That is crazy! I cannot see a parent allowing this action regardless of culture. I mean it is not healthy for these children to be doing. There it goes again where parents are not being parents and standing up for what is wrong for their children to be doing. They are letting society dictate what they are allowed to do. Smoking is not cool at any age. The funny part is that people usually quit when it is too late to d o anything to save their lives or health. Its sad.
1 person likes this
@ruakawa (35)
• Indonesia
27 May 10
hi, im from indonesia.
yes, you are right about the boy that smoking in early age in indonesia. but now the children is not smoking anymore and be more like a good boy. the fact is people live around the boy that make him do that, the environment, not the parents. i think all the smoker dont want their children smoking. and im not a smoker. LOL
some institution that protect children come to solve this problem and now everything going good.
im talking about a boy, but not all the boy that smoking have been handled, but im sure the institution im talking about its gonna make some move to solve and prevent this thing happend again.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
27 May 10
Thanks for your input on this matter Ruakawa. It is great to hear from someone living there that the authorities are making some efforts. So are you saying that this particular boy is not smoking anymore? Do you know of this boy that is mentioned in the article?
1 person likes this
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
28 May 10
I think that the only way to stop this situation is to remove the child from the environment. He needs to be placed into the care of people who are going to look after him and not treat him as a novelty act!
If the child stays where he is then I fear that he has no future! 
If the child stays where he is then I fear that he has no future! 
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
30 May 10
While in New Zealand I saw an adv for the coming news program and it showed a pic of a 2 year old boy smoking. I didn't see the news but if this is the same item, the boy had fair skin and blonde hair and didn't look Indonesian. While we cannot be accountable for culture in another country, I would hope that if this happened in our country the parents would be charged with child abuse.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
30 May 10
This boy is definitely not fair skinned and definitely not blonde! It must be an entirely different case? 
That is sad to know that this is happening in all sorts of different areas of the world then.
I think for sure that the parents would be in massive trouble if that sort of thing happened here. I am not sure if they would be charged with child abuse, but I would like to think that they would. They would lose custody of their child for sure though I would think.
That is sad to know that this is happening in all sorts of different areas of the world then.
I think for sure that the parents would be in massive trouble if that sort of thing happened here. I am not sure if they would be charged with child abuse, but I would like to think that they would. They would lose custody of their child for sure though I would think.@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
1 Jun 10
Yeah Catlady, kids just do not start smoking all on their own naturally without some encouragement.
Cloudwatcher, I agree with you that he looks older than 2, but he could be just about to turn 3 and is just a big kid. You never know. Even if he is four or whatever it is still incredibly wrong and sad. I just do not understand it.
Cloudwatcher, I agree with you that he looks older than 2, but he could be just about to turn 3 and is just a big kid. You never know. Even if he is four or whatever it is still incredibly wrong and sad. I just do not understand it. 
@Hatley (163773)
• Garden Grove, California
28 May 10
hi rawbill dont they know that smoking can ruin your heart or dont they care, a two year old should not be running his life yet, he is just a toddler. what are the parents thinking.I realize this is indeed a different culture but surely time has not completely passed Indonesia by has it?I can hope that health experts can convince all these smokers of the dangers of smoking.
@TheCatLady (4691)
• Israel
31 May 10
I saw that on the net too. Apparently they don't have a problem with little kids smoking. In the States they would loose their kid if they let him smoke that young.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
1 Jun 10
Yes, it would be the same here in Australia and most countries I think. I just do not understand how parents and authorities can let this happen.
@Ritchelle (3790)
• Philippines
28 May 10
what is outrageous is his parents inability to detect this. what are they doing besides working? if they cannot keep a tab on their child they better learn to simplify their life for they are incapable of working and having a family at the same time . one of them should resign and stay at home.
. one of them should resign and stay at home.@Ritchelle (3790)
• Philippines
29 May 10
i don't think it is irresponsibility on the parents' part now that i think about it. i wouldn't even classify it as stupidity. i'd say the parents are sick .
. @craftyhomebody (443)
• United States
29 May 10
i ink everyone in the world has been told about the
angers of somking and to me to see this 2 years smokeing on
t.v. made me very mad and i think the parent should
be charged with hurting there children it's abuse
the child only know's what he is taught to do
@krischine (269)
• Philippines
31 May 10
I've seen it on T.V that a 2 years old boy was addicted of smoking due to the influence of his father. It's really horrible watching the young boy smoking while the parents was just laughing same as the neighbors. How I pity those parents, they can make the child stop smoking if they want to. The health of the child is in danger.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
3 Jun 10
Yeah, I could not believe everyone just laughing at the whole thing as if the child was just a toy there to amuse them. They are destroying the child's life, that is for sure!
@supermario69 (57)
• Philippines
28 May 10
Proper authorities and especially their parents,should take necessary measures and guidance needed by these children to stop them from smoking, and to prevent them from suffering lung cancer and other smoking-related illnesses.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
28 May 10
I totally agree. This is unacceptable behaviour by these people in this society and the authorities need to step in and remove any child that is being abused in this way. It is a case of child abuse and neglect. Something surely must be done to stop it.
