I was watching TV and they showed this 2 year old kid from Indonesia who’s smoking 4o cigarettes a day. I just could not believe it. But when I searched on YouTube it’s there. It really struck me that it’s been going on here in the Philippines too. Only thing I never saw as young as 2 years old smoked cigarettes here. But I’ve seen as young as 8 years old smoking here. How could a kid starts smoking at that age?
Imagined that kid from Indonesia really started smoking when he was 18 months old, it shows on some of the videos on Youtube. As a parent I know that when my sons was at that aged of 18 months old, they don’t know a thing for sure. We parents really watched them closely at that aged. That’s the time they starts getting into everything at the house. They will walk with no directions and a lot of times banged up their heads into the table, or they fell off from a chair, climb up the coffee table, gets into moms nice decor or dad’s computer, they will touch almost all the stuff inside the house. That’s around that age when they started to be curious on whats surrounds them. They will watched you on how you react when they get into things. The time when they will figure it out if they can manipulate you or not. In short the beginning of terrible two’s.
How could a kid get a hold of a cigarette? The dad must be putting the cigarettes where the kid had access. I know the dad was a smoker, but how could he allow his son smokes as early as 18 months old. At that age the kids wanting were to eat, drink milk from a bottle and play. I have to blame the parents for the child’s welfare. That kid just didn’t know what he was doing. He should be with the parents care. I don’t have problems people smoking, it’s really a choice of every person. But with that toddler smoking at that age, then I really have a problem.
That’s one thing about here in the Philippines and I think all third world countries. No regulations on how old the kids be allowed to buy cigarettes and liquor. Here the 2 year old can purchased those too. I think anyway. The parents even asked the kid to lite the cigarettes for them. Some kids they will get curious and try. Then they will get hooked and addicted to it. I’ve seen parents do that to their kids. I know sometimes that it’s like that in the province. Been seeing those when growing up. My dad smoked cigars once in awhile. He never asked me or my other sisters to lite the cigars for him. He always said to us before not to start any vices, it is hard to kick the habits out. Really true.
I have few nephews that’s been smoking cigarettes. My sisters and brothers-in-law are not happy about that. Sometimes my nephews has to go somewhere to smoked to avoid the “nagging,” that’s how they phrase it. They know that it’s a never ending talk. Just like one of my oldest brother, he starts smoking when he was young because he hangs out with my uncles that’s a few years older than him. They really taught him how to gamble too. My dad told him and advised him not to smoke and drink and gamble because he doesn’t have lot of money and it would be hard for him to discipline his kids later, but he did not listen. My brother he married at the young age. The money that supposed to be for his vices he could have used it for the needs of his kids. Now when I saw him he would tell me that he wished to God, that he should have listened to our dad. I told him its too late now, just try to advice his grand kids and other family members. Most of his sons are smokers and would drink too. He can’t really advise his sons not to smoke because he, himself is a smoker. Luckily my nephews are not asking my brother for money to support the grand kids. Some of them have good businesses and some are working abroad.
Really the Philippines needs to have tougher regulations for the kids to have access on buying cigarettes and liquor. I know here in Davao we have regulations on smoking in public places, restaurants, government offices, malls, hotels and many other places. Not sure if they have regulations on kids buying cigarettes or liquor though.
On a side note: ***This is just my take on that kid in Indonesia and my observation here in my country. I am not trying to be bossy to anyone that smokes here. Hey, you’re an adult you can do what you want to do with your life. ***
No, the kid did not simply pick up a cigarette and start smoking. Some ignorant adult, probably his own father, gave it to him and then leaned back and laughed his fool head off as to how silly the kid looked.
Such a father should be taken out behind the wood shed and beaten within an inch of his life with a good strong piece of wood.
What is so sad to me is to see people, mostly men, buying cigarettes when it is obvious they are dirt poor — still they have to have that cigarette.
There is one particular homeless man over near the beach (Florida has a lot of them because of the warm weather) that would be hard to recognize if he did not have a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. He’s a man that clearly does not eat right (skin and bones), has not taken a bath in months (well, since the last rain…), but still he has tho have that cigarette.
Hi Rich321 (Rich Bowen) – So very true too. Do you think the father felt guilty of what he had done to his kid? Probably not though. How sad.
I’ve observed that here in the Philippines too, they said they had no money but looking at the fingers they had cigarette and also one cigarette was clip on one of their ear. With cell phone on the other hand, with san miguel beer on the table. Hmm, strange to have no money and to have all those stuff.
Same observation with the homeless here…
What a world we have now…
Good to see you again here. Thank you for the nice comment.
Cheers!
Mrs Feyma,
It’s sad to see kids smoking and really anyone smoking. I guess cancer and death is not an incentive to quit. I’ve seen people with emphysema and on oxygen just continue to puff away. Good post. hopefully it will some people an incentive to quit. Be safe.
It is so facinating that here it is 2011 and a modern country like the USA has so many protection laws which can result in terrible things for parents if they neglect their children and a Countries like the Philippines while offering so many modern things is still a prehistoric country in dealing with important social issues. I have heard too many to count horror stories about life behind closed doors in homes of the poor of the Philippines like severe physical abuse, alcoholism, drug addition and yet we seem to ignore these things distracted by all those smiling faces of apparently happy Filipinos. I mean for many this is an important part of what attracts us to the Country. It really is a paradox becasue much of it is so much the opposite.
Maybe I am wrong, but I would bet that a lot of foreigners come here because of the cheap cigarettes, cheap booze and cheap girls.
Where is that like button when I need it?! I kind of enjoyed the lax laws on how old a person has to be to buy beer in the Philippines. If it weren’t for my 8 year old nephew we would have had to go all the way to the sari sari store ourselves and buy it. 🙂
That’s funny Darin. Were you one short when he got back?
Hi Darin – 🙂
Hello Feyma! 😀
How right you are Bob and many of these same gentlemen are also physical abusers, alcoholics and bring their bad habits to the Philippines. But while the Philippines has little protection for a helpless child I feel sorry (no I don’t) for the expat who abuses a Filipina physically or gets into a fight due to being drunk. They would find themselves in jail and eventually on a flight out of the country unless of course they have money in their pocket to buy themselves out of trouble.
Ah, Paul, you missed one of the most common punishments for abusers… they may find themselves dead.
lol bob u are very right
sad but very right in what u say i am not saying all but a lot off men just go to the phill for fun to drink smoke and have sex with girl thay meet at a club and are thay cleen girls mmm that is the rick thay take mate just for a good root my self i have never ever been in night club in the phill yes i will drink some beer and top shelf when i am there but i take it home to drink mate and sadly a lot off marrried men are doing the same just to have fun……….peter martin
Thanks Peter.
I’ve noticed that too, Bob. I expect to be a “social outcast” as I try not to go to places where everyone is smoking and I do not drink. Fitting in has never been one of my priorities.
Sounds like your priorities and mine, Rich, are quite similar.
Oh I forgot to mention that I am finally a grandpa. About 10 years ago I made an emergency 40,000p loan to a tenant farmer on my then inlaws property. I never expected to be paid back but it was for a good cause. He did try to pay me some money over the next couple of years and then nothing after that. I kind of wrote it off and actually forgot about it, but then just two weeks ago I was informed by my ex brother-n-law that this person knowing he still owed me money decided to give me a Pregnant Cow. She just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. I’m a grandpa. Veal anyone LOL
I saw that video a few months ago Feyma. It was very shocking to see the kid smoking. He looked like Jackie Gleeson smoking that thing. It was impressive though that he could blow such good smoke rings.
One of my distant cousins here thought it was funny when her 1 year old daughter would cuss. The kid would learn from her and her friends and was never corrected when she said the words, and she would say them loud. So just as Rich said it is something taught by his parent or parents and they probably found it funny. It is sad because they give in to the kid too when they “tried” to get him to quit smoking. When they took the cigarettes away he went through withdrawls and threw a tantrum and they gave in to his addiction. So these parents are to blame for letting him start and for not being good parents and making him quit through tuff love.
Hi Darin Collins – Honestly the kid looked amazing and cool. But for how long? He is going to pay the price with his health later if he continues. Luckily some organization took him out from that village for a rehab. I hope he stayed there for as long as he can. I hope the parents will help him for his recovery.
Parenting are The hardest job in the world. As a parent we tried to do our best to discipline our kids and show good examples to them.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Good to see you here.
u are so right Feyma
and as for my self i am a smoker and have been now for over 10 years i have tryed to give it up for along time but canot do it i had my first smoke when i was 10 years old and no my dad and mom dont smoke or my brothers and sister just me and u can ask me where would a 10 yea rold boy get smokes from lol from school yes that is right and no not from older kids ok and i got away with it but i never did take it up till i was in my late 30s and yes my wife hates me doing it and u know what she will not kiss me as long as i am smoking all i get is her “nagging me to stop……lol……..peter martin tassie
Hi peterjoy – I’ve known family and friends tried to quit smoking. All of them said it is really hard to do. I know what you mean by influences. One of my nephew, his parents, both are not smokers but my nephew starts smoking during his high school days, by hanging out with his best friends in school. He is sorry now but its too late. He tried to quit a few times.
Good luck on your quest of quitting. I know it is not an easy journey, but at least you have the urge to quit.
Take care mate!
Feyma,
My mother quit smoking when she was in her 50s. Only because it was too expensive. It took nicotine patches and gum but she managed. Now she is in her 70s and runs half marathons.
Hi Don – Good for your mom. Wow, marathon at 70? She’s amazing. Good for her.
Thank you so much for stopping here.
Ms Feyma, OMG a 2 year old smoking is unbelievable! Shocking too… and sad! I’ve seen elementary kids in the street smoking cigs.. but at 2 is really is shocking! they should be drinking milk! Also it’s not just smoking. Anyway there’s a smoking band being enforced.. or about to… here in QC… the thing is will people follow the law..
Hi sugar – I know what you mean. Really shocking.
With the smoking ban, it will be good for a few weeks or months, then it will slowly disappear. IMHO anyway…
Nice to see you here sugar.
Take care!
Hi feyma here in australia we have laws that restrict minors from buying ciggarettes under the age of 18 they must show proof of age if asked or no sale ,easy to get around but if a shopkeeper sells smokes to underage he is in big trouble ,also we have laws that state you must not smoke in avehicle with children in it otherwise big fine ,we cannot smoke in pubs anymore malls resteraunts and many other places ,i am just waiting for the day when you cannot smoke in your own property ,i smoke but dont do so inside, outside is where i go dont smoke in my shed due to flamable liquids ,still have a places i go and have a puff ,dont disagree with the laws here but i despise people who get on there high horse about smoking and then go and get blind drunk and think nothing of it like at the cricket no smoking there either ,it is only a matter of time before they bring in laws to retrict smoking on your own household big brother gone mad
chris