Last year, a viral video was circulating with a Indonesian baby smoking about 2 packs a day. The toddler on Sumatra was apparently hooked on nicotine after being introduced to cigarettes. The show “Vanguard” located the infamous “Smoking Baby” Aldi. With the help of the Indonesian government, the kid is now a 2-year-old ex-smoker. He now says ‘Don’t smoke’. In a tiny village with no internet access, Aldi’s mother explains how she craved cigarettes while she was pregnant. A hundred yards away from the family’s home, a small shop sells cigarettes – including Sampoerna Mild, Aldi’s brand of choice, made by Philip Morris. The company that brought you the Malboro man also helped create the image of a kid smoking cigarettes.

Look for the full episode of “Sex, Lies & Cigarettes” on Current TV. The episode charts Big Tobacco’s attempt to expand its reach into Indonesia, which by all accounts has become the “Wild West” of cigarette marketing and promotion.

Vanguard finds the Indonesian smoking baby

The viral video with the smoking baby