A two-year-old Indonesian boy who smoked about 40 cigarettes a day has kicked the habit after receiving intensive specialist care, child welfare officials said.
Indonesian toddler Ardi Rizal was forced to enter 30 days of rehab to quit his smoking habit, they said.
He caused a storm around the world when filmed chain smoking cigarettes by a TV crew at his home in Musi Banyuasin, in the South Sumatra province.
His parents handed over Ardi for rehab and he was weaned off cigarettes, the Jakarta Globe said.
During his time with doctors, tests showed he already has a heart problem.
To try to limit his nicotine withdrawal symptoms and to keep his mind occupied, doctors had Ardi participate in play therapy.
But quitting smoking seems not to be an easy choice for the toddler.
A U.S. TV programme filming the process of the toddler quitting smoking showed him rolling around on the floor screaming and crying as he threw a fit at being refused a cigarette.
But doctors said they are optimistic that he will stop smoking as they are trying to lead him back to the beauty of childhood play. - (AFP and Korean Herald) |
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