All About the Smoking Baby

[yellow people]

Aldi Suganda, the so-called "Smoking Baby," lives in the quiet Indonesian fishing village of Musi Bbanyuasin.

Aldi Suganda smokes while another unidentified child looks on. ​

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Aldi Suganda, the so-called "Smoking Baby," with his parents. His mother says he began smoking when he went to play on his own at a cigarette stall. Aldi's mother Diana told CBS, "He already knew how to do it very well (when I found him), like an adult. ... It was actually his own wish."
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[yellow people]

Aldi Suganda, the so-called "Smoking Baby," puffs while his mother, Diana, looks on behind him.
Diana says when she tries to cut back on her son's smoking, he throws tantrums, hits his head on the floor and becomes sick from withdrawal. ​

Aldi still smokes one to two packs of cigarettes a day, according to his mother. His mother, Diana, told CBS News, "We surely hope he will quit,
that he will be like any other kid, not smoking. ... But I can't stand seeing him hurting himself. What can we do but to accept it is as it is?"

At one point, Aldi was smoking more than 40 cigarettes a day. In fact, his mother says he often uses one cigarette to light the next. ​

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[yellow people]

Aldi became an Internet sensation that left many in disbelief.
But CBS News cameras found the boy in a small fishing village with a lit cigarette in hand.

In Indonesia, Aldi may not be such a surprising case. Smoking is ingrained in the country's culture; it's the third-largest tobacco consuming nation in the world. A third of the population smokes -- including many children. Since the video of Aldi surfaced, more videos have appeared online of babies blowing smoke rings.

Aldi Suganda takes a drag on a cigarette. "Over 31 percent of Indonesian children smoke a cigarette before the age of 10," says Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "Over 80 percent of Indonesians who smoke start as teenagers or younger. The reason is that the Indonesian government has completely failed to educate its public and has allowed the tobacco industry to engage in marketing practices that haven't been permitted in the United States for years." ​

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[yellow people]

According to Aldi Suganda's parents, Rizal and Diana, he started smoking when he was just 11 months old,
during daily trips to the market where they sell fish.

At home, Aldi plays with toys and grips a bottle. But his tiny hands also light cigarettes with the familiarity of a seasoned smoker.

Aldi sits back with a cigarette in his mouth. Dr. Alanna Levine, a pediatrician, told CBS News,
"A child who's smoking many cigarettes a day can absolutely be addicted to nicotine...so it's not easy for him to just stop smoking cold turkey." ​

Aldi and his family are now in a rehabilitation program sponsored by Indonesia's National Commission for Child Protection, his parents told CBS News.



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[yellow people]

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All About the Smoking Baby


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