Ardi Rizal Indonesian child, young smoker. Country: Indonesia

1. Indonesian Child, Young Smoker
2. Ardi's International Fame and Rehabilitation
3. A Widespread Issue in Indonesia

Indonesian Child, Young Smoker

Ardi Rizal, an Indonesian child, gained attention as a young smoker when he first took a cigarette at the age of two. However, the authorities intervened to help him quit this harmful habit. Ardi became the main subject of an American news project, highlighting his extraordinary young age of smoking. Many children start smoking primarily to appear older and impress their peers. Ardi Rizal, on the other hand, used cigarettes as a tool for blackmail, threatening his mother to smoke unless she bought him toys. It is truly astonishing to consider Ardi's cunning behavior, especially when one realizes that he had just celebrated his fourth birthday.

Ardi's International Fame and Rehabilitation

A video of Ardi holding a cigarette went viral and was featured on television, leading the local authorities to take notice. Although this popularity was not welcomed by the authorities, they deemed it necessary to provide rehabilitation courses for the child. Recently, the media once again caught up with Ardi. Surprisingly, the boy seemed to be doing incredibly well. He appeared to be well-fed, wearing stylish black glasses, and claimed to have no intention of smoking anymore. However, it is difficult to determine his sincerity, as his mother revealed that Ardi had tried to blackmail her into giving him toys by threatening to smoke again. Local residents do not take the child's harmful habit seriously, with some even offering him cigarettes. Given these circumstances, it is sadly highly likely that Ardi will smoke again in the future.

A Widespread Issue in Indonesia

Further investigation by journalists revealed that Ardi's case is not unique in Indonesia. Another two-year-old smoker named Chairul was discovered in East Java. Chairul was introduced to tobacco by his grandfather and smokes his first cigarette immediately upon waking up. Sometimes, he manages to smoke two packs a day. Similarly, there is a seven-year-old boy named Maulana who refuses to part with his cigarettes. Under his mother's supervision, he has learned to blow neat smoke rings. Unfortunately, his mother is unable to make Maulana quit smoking as her child becomes weak and starts crying without cigarettes.