7-Year-Old Smokes a Pack of Cigarettes Daily

A seven-year-old Indonesia boy smokes 16 cigarettes every day. Although this is shocking to many, this is a drastic improvement for little Dihan Awalidan. He began smoking at the age of three and at one point smoked three packs of cigarettes a day. According to his father, Iyan, when Dihan was not given money to buy cigarettes he would have tantrums or steal them.

His parents, who also smoke, said the bad habit has already begun taking a toll on Dihan’s body, but they cannot make him kick the habit. The child’s mother Tati said, if Dihan does not smoke he cries. The seven-year-old is not alone; he also smokes in the fields with his friends to hide his habit from the family.

Not only do his friends smoke, sadly so do a third of the kids in Indonesia. President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Matt Myers, said Indonesia is saturated with images of tobacco. He added:

Smoking is not just an easy habit to pick up, it is the cultural norm there.

Indonesia is not alone in their tobacco struggle. According to   … click HERE to continue reading