Indonesia Child Smoking

Can you imagine a young child smoking when he or she barely knows how to walk? In Indonesia, children as young as three-year-olds are smoking cigarettes. And over the years, things have been getting even worse. Lisda Sundari, deputy director for education and advocacy at the local children NGO Lentera Anak, said the quantity of kids 10 to 14 who smoke has multiplied in the course of recent years, and has tripled for 5- to 9-year olds.

Sixty-seven percent of Indonesian men and 41 percent of 13 to 15 year-old young men smoke. Indonesia is one of the few nations on the planet that hasn't agreed to the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. This implies cigarettes are still cheap to a great degree  (around one dollar a pack) and cigarette advertising has not been outlawed.

What is so bad, you ask? The harsh additives in cigarettes narrow blood vessels and puts enormous strain on the heart. It also leads to a lack of oxygen and shortness of breath. Nicotine, a dangerous chemical in cigarettes, is not just exceptionally addictive for youth, its a poison - a drop of pure nicotine would murder a person.

Additionally, cigarette ads are still completely ubiquitous across Indonesia. These promotions are on television, in daily papers and magazines, and put on trees lining the streets. Indonesian urban communities are crowded with announcements guaranteeing pleasure, style, and confidence. Cigarette organizations support the majority of the nation's concerts and sporting events.

Ladies and gentlemen, next time you see a child or teen anywhere in the world that doesn’t understand the effect of these dangerous chemicals, remember these young kids in Indonesia, and tell them to do the right thing.