Worlds Youngest Smoker: Two Years Old

[redux]

The official position of China’s national government on the subject of smoking is that it’s bad for you and you should stop; better yet, don’t take up the habit in the first place. Excellent advice, but for one particular citizen of the city of Tianjin, alas, it’s too late.

Tong Liangliang is not what you’d call a long-term smoker. In fact, he took up the habit only about half a year ago. In terms of sheer quantity of cigarettes consumed, though, he’s working pretty hard to catch up with the veterans. They say he’s already putting away a pack a day.

Problem is, Tong Liangliang is only two years old!

The toddler has his father to thank for this situation. At the age of only a year-and-a-half, his dad says, little Liangliang suffered from pain from a hernia. But he was too young to undergo surgery at the time, so the man taught him to smoke, thinking it might offer the poor kid some relief.

Full Story

How long until he starts on the booze you think?

[Saikami]

Poor kid, that is no reason for a father to give his child a freaking cigarette. (In my opinion, smoking is completely disgusting...) A pack a day!? Jeez

[Kaizer]

Damn that's horrible. Why the hell would anybody teach a child to smoke? It isn't acceptable no matter what the reason. 

[shadowstar]

I quit smoking because the risk of me getting cancer is higher than average. I don't hate smokers, if they want to do it then they can. It's their lives, who am I to dictate to them what to do?

But seriously, 2 years old? This kid (and the people around him who aren't doing anything) need help.

[Amplifier]

Smoking *is* really enjoyable, I'll admit, but that kid can't possible understand the health effects that go along. That poor kids lungs are itty bitty and shit, he's going to be screwed big time. You can notice a big enough change when you're full grown when you start/stop, man..

[Tuffty]

Give that man a Father Of The Year award. Way to impose health complications on someone for the rest of their life. I understand he was only trying to do right and relieve his son's hernia pain but he must have known the risks it can have on someone who's body is still growing and more susceptible to building problems.

Only hope the habit is kicked immediately and the kid doesn't encounter any health related problems as a result of this.

[Saikami]

The father must've seen this and got the idea:

[kuno_thunder]

The reason people find smoking attractive is all thanks to the social construct from years ago that smoking was cool, and something that people of higher status did.  It was never meant to make you live longer, smell better, have whiter teeth, or cleaner lungs.  I remember my dad telling me the reason he started smoking was because the bugs working on the farm would irritate the shit out of him, and he asked his dad how he could get rid of them.  So, his dad gave him some cigarettes, and they seemed to keep the bugs away for a while.

Here's how I see it: smoking is enjoyable to those who don't smoke because they wanna look cool and part of the in crowd.  This is almost always the teenage crowd.  I remember hearing once that if you didn't try smoking by the time you were 17 years old, you'd never try it.  After that, you'd know enough of the health risks and bla bla bla.  For those people who already smoke, they "enjoy" it because they're addicted to the nicotine, and smoking satisfies their craving for it.  I can't think of any other thing in this world that is as addicting as cigarettes that if used in the way its intended, can be as harmful as they are - not only to the one using them, but to others around them.  Every smoker that I know acknowledges that, but usually they can't give me a straight up answer when I ask them why they haven't tried quitting yet.  Smoking (or wanting to start smoking) has never been a matter of intelligence, everyone should know the risks and harmful stuffs already.  But why do people start, or not try to quit?  A matter of weakness.  I hope I'm not sounding too preachy here for those that do smoke, but this is what Steve Wilkos would say to you.  If you know its not good for you, its expensive, causing harm to your body and to people around you, why are you still doing it?  What have you done to try to quit?

Is there a place in the world today that doesn't have a law saying its illegal to smoke indoors?  I'm kind of curious about that.  As far as that kid goes, he didn't stand a chance.  I'd be surprised if he lives to see his 5th birthday.