Indonesia's smoking babies 'epidemic'

Indonesia's smoking babies 'epidemic¹'

 What if the chain-smoking toddler in a 2010 viral video was just the tip of the country's tobacco problem?

After a video of a chain-smoking 2-year-old Indonesian boy, Aldi, went viral last year, piling up 13 million hits on YouTube, Indonesian authorities sent the toddler to rehab to break him of his pack-or-two-per-day habit. ABC's 20/20 went to the fishing village only to catch up on Aldi, now 4, and found that he was far from the only child lighting² up on a regular basis. Here, a guide to the country's "epidemic" of tobacco-addicted kids.

Aldi isn't the only smoking baby?

Sadly, no. Approximately a million children under the age of 16 smoke, according to ABC News. Worse yet, one third of Indonesian children try smoking before the age of 10. In some startling examples, the 20/20 crew met 2-year-old Chairul, who is fed cigarettes by his grandfather. Then there was 7-year-old Maulana, living in a nearby town, who blows smoke rings while his mother looks on.

Why is the habit so widespread among kids?

Cigarettes are incredibly cheap in Indonesia — costing a "mere³" dollar per pack. And there is no age limit for buying tobacco, so it's perfectly⁴ normal to see a child purchase a single cigarette for 10 cents. It probably doesn't help that cigarette advertisements are plastered on school walls.

So, who is at fault? 

Parents who freely give children cigarettes take some of the blame. But critics of big tobacco companies say they are responsible, too. Some cigarette makers⁵ have long taken advantage of the absence of restrictions⁶ in foreign countries, including those that don't prohibit them from like specifically targeting young people. "The tobacco industry rides roughshod over public health interests" in Indonesia, says Mary Elizabeth Williams in Salon⁷.

Is anyone trying to help the situation?

It's unclear. Philip Morris International responded to the viral video and 20/20 investigation⁸ with an email saying it supports "strict regulation of tobacco products," and encourages the Indonesian government to introduce laws that would ban cigarette sales to minors⁹. Unfortunately, anti-tobacco legislation has died in parliament.

What about Aldi? Is he still smoking?

He has reportedly quit, though he says he misses it. But Aldi reportedly bargains with his desperate mother, getting her to buy him toys as a reward for keeping his lungs smoke-free. Aldi's mother says she wishes she had never let him start, and admits that she caught him lighting up recently.

1 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

2 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

3 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

4 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

5 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

7 salon   

n.[法]沙龙；客厅；营业性的高级服务室

参考例句：

• Do you go to the hairdresser or beauty salon more than twice a week?你每周去美容院或美容沙龙多过两次吗？
• You can hear a lot of dirt at a salon.你在沙龙上会听到很多流言蜚语。

8 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

9 minors   

n.未成年人( minor的名词复数 )；副修科目；小公司；[逻辑学]小前提v.[主美国英语]副修，选修，兼修( minor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors. 法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had three minors this semester. 这学期他有三门副修科目。 来自《简明英汉词典》