It was one of the most shocking stories I’ve ever seen when I wrote about the smoking-addicted toddler in Indonesia. Between his weight and his love of smoking, that kid wasn’t going to live to see puberty, let alone grow to adulthood! However, thanks to the hard work of therapists and significant government intervention, the smoking toddler Ardi Rizal has now officially kicked his cigarette habit.
While Ardi kicked the habit, it took significant intervention from a team of doctors and psychologists, who removed Ardi from his home in the fishing village of Musi Banyuasin on the Indonesian island of Sumatra and brought him all the way to capital city Jakarta for treatment. Basically, they distracted him whenever his urge to smoke kicked in using what they call psychosocial therapy. They encouraged him to interact with kids his own age, and according to National Committee of Child Protection CEO Arist Merdeka Sirait, “We diverted his addiction from cigarettes to playing.”
Now, Ardi’s on his way back home, where his local government will take over his supervision and treatment regimen. Here’s hoping he stays clean the first time he’s on the outside. That’ll be the hardest part.
Tags: smoking toddler, toddler quits smoking, smoking toddler quits smoking, Ardi Rizal, Musi Banyuasin, Sumatra, Indonesia, Ardi Rizal quits smoking, success stories, unusual health news, addictions, cigarettes, smoking, Arist Merdeka Sirait, psychosocial therapy