The boy who started smoking at two years old: what does he look like now?

Ardi Rizal from Indonesia tried his first cigarette at the age of two. The kid very quickly became addicted to the habit: he smoked two packs a day and fought in hysterics when they tried to limit him. At first, the parents thought it was funny, but very soon the family no longer had enough money for the "funny" habit of the child. However, weaning him from cigarettes was not so easy. Ardi began to "seize" nicotine cravings and earned obesity. Now he is 14 years old: what was the fate of the little smoker?

Cigarette instead of a pacifier

Ardi Rizal was born in Indonesia, in a small village on the island of Sumatra. His father gave him his first cigarette for fun, and the kid began to repeat after his parent with pleasure. At two years old, the boy already smoked like a steam locomotive, not letting go of cigarettes from his hands and lighting one from the other. But this did not bother anyone, because in Indonesia, children's and teenage smoking is considered the norm.

According to statistics, in this country, 80% of children start smoking before they turn 10 years old. More than half of the entire population smokes regularly among adults. So a two-year-old kid with a cigarette in his mouth became a local landmark, but neither the parents nor their fellow villagers worried about how the habit could affect the child's health.

The older Ardi got, the stronger the dependence became. The boy's mother recalls that it was impossible to limit him. He smoked non-stop and demanded more and more cigarettes a day. And if he didn’t get it, then he threw phenomenal tantrums - he cried, shouted and banged his head against the wall. His habit became a necessity: without cigarettes, Ardy became physically ill. The boy felt sick, his head was spinning, withdrawal symptoms began.

Junk food instead of a cigarette

When Ardi was four years old, his parents decided that with smokingit's time to tie. True, not because of the health of the child, but because the cost of cigarettes has become unbearable for a poor Sumatran family. The boy was taken to a rehabilitation center in Jakarta and had to be left there for several months. After all, at home, the child could never quit smoking.

To wean Ardi from cigarettes, doctors had to make incredible efforts. Due to the age of the child, he could not be given medications that alleviate the withdrawal syndrome. In addition, there is no way to explain to a four-year-old why he should give up his favorite habit. Therefore, the doctors did not find other options but to replace cigarettes with something that also brings the boy pleasure.

Food was such an alternative. To compensate for the strong cravings for smoking, Ardi began to consume unimaginable amounts of food. Most of all, the child "helped" junk food: high-calorie foods high in sugar and fat. Doctors recall that Ardi could eat three cans of condensed milk in one sitting, and wash it all down with sweet soda. But that was the only way to distract him from thoughts of cigarettes.

Victory over addictions

By the age of six, the child quit smoking, but developed an eating disorder and obesity. So he had to be rescued from a new addiction - food. With the support of the Indonesian Organization for the Protection of the Rights of the Child, the parents turned to a nutritionist, who prescribed a proper nutrition course for Ardi. In general, it took the boy almost two years to fight obesity and eating disorders. It wasn't until he was eight years old that he got into shape and began to feel healthy.

Now Ardi is 14 years old, he does not smoke and still observes dietary restrictions: the boy almost does not eat sweets, he tries to focus on vegetables and fish. Many of his schoolmates indulge in cigarettes, but Ardi doesn't want to go back in time. He says that he still remembers how hard it was to cope first with one, and then with the second addiction. Most of all, the child is happy that he has not earned himself serious health problems.

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