When a boy from Indonesia was caught red-handed smoking cigarettes back in 2001, the world stood in disbelief. What came as more shocking was the fact the boy smoked around 40 cigarettes per day.
The entire matter was caught on video, where we can see young Ardi Rizal enjoying a smoke with passion and eagerness.
Many people across the globe responded severely to the footage, criticizing the authorities for not having laws that regulate such practices. But, according to his parents, the kid looked absolutely healthy and well.


In Indonesia, a staggering 30% of the children begin smoking from very early on. Moreover, reports suggested that in 2008, more than 165 billion cigarettes were sold in the country, which is a number to be a little scared off.
HOW THE STORY CONTINUE:
The attention this story got was, to be honest, viral. This forced the Indonesian government to take radical steps towards fixing the issue.
After the narrative first broke, Ardi became part of a rehabilitation program that would serve him to repeal this nasty habit. This case also urged the Indonesian government to kick off a campaign against children smokers, which raised plenty of attention as a result.
The rehabilitation program helped Ardi fight off this disgusting habit and was supposed to turn him into a healthy young boy once more. However, this caused the boy to turn to another addiction- overeating.


Ultimately the child became obese due to consuming junk food ever since he turned six.
Thankfully, his parents worked tirelessly with a well-skilled nutritionist and put him on a strict diet regime. Today, Ardi is an 8-year old boy that fights neither the will to smoke, nor the desire to eat as compensation.
His parents took excellent care of him, and as a result, he blossomed into a healthy and sound child.
What this story is trying to explain is that it is never too early to get yourself in trouble, but is also never too late to get out of it by simply having the will to change and having the support system to see this through together.
Love, caring and support are some of the basic principles all parents need to provide for their children. It is not for nothing that a parent’s job is among the most challenging ones, but if done right, it can be rather amazing.