Not so fond of candies and chocolates, children in Indonesia love cigarettes

Tribune Web Desk

Chandigarh, August 29

Tobacco consumption is at an all-time high all around the world, be it via smoking, chewing or sniffing.

Indonesia seems to be leading the tobacco consumption race with surprising details about its consumption among the people there.

Being the fifth country in the world in terms of tobacco consumption, smoking has become a ‘part of the culture’ for the people there.

Children as young as three-year-olds are seen smoking cigarettes. The kids become addicted to cigarettes from a very early age.

The parents are well aware of the situation. Children can also be seen smoking sometimes even in front of their parents.

Michelle Siu, a freelance photographer, released an album, ‘Marlboro Boys’, highlighting the relation Indonesian children share with cigarettes.

Back in 2010, a then two-year-old Indonesian child, Ardi Rizal, had gone viral all around the world after it was reported that he was addicted to cigarettes and would smoke up to two packets (40 cigarettes) a day. Following heavy criticism, Indonesian authorities got the child admitted to a rehab that helped him give up the habit.

More than 60 per cent of the population smokes in the south-east Asian country.

No advertisement restrictions, easy availability and low prices are the main reasons for a high tobacco consumption in Indonesia. The presence of a powerful tobacco lobby with tight political connections suggests that things are not going to change anytime soon.

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