We all saw Aldi, the boy who shocked the world, puffing A Mild like he's done it a million times, which might not be an overstatement, actually. The obviously overweight child lives in a rural village without an internet connection, and irony considering he's an internet sensation. We cringed in shame when the video went viral. As an Indonesian living abroad I always try to take a side for the country even for the worst news. It's like protecting your child when he had spit on the neighbor, but aching to just pinch him all over once you are behind closed doors. Aldi, bless his heart for being oblivious of what being said out there, was over many news and talkshows, creating discussion about how unbelievably young he was and was at the center of many late night TV jokes. What did the Indonesian government do about this? Well, like many other solutions it had taken, it chose the most short-sighted one: brought Aldi and the family to Jakarta to receive treatment. It's almost like trying to confirm what we wanted the world to believe, that Aldi was an exceptional case, so the only fixing to do was to fix Aldi. But the saddening truth is he is not.
In the newly released documentary by Vanguard called "Sex, Lies, and Cigarettes", problems much bigger than a smoking baby are uncovered. The documentary shows how smoking was the big thing in the Western world and how the USA has come a very long way in trying to curb the culture of smoking. As the market diminishes with the rising tax on cigarettes, companies make their way to countries where the government has little upheld laws on smoking. So, here comes trouble.
Access to and advertisement on cigarettes are so widespread in Indonesia. In the big cities, most streets would have some sort of cigarette ad whether on billboards, banners, or pretty girls with a box full of cigarettes at night time. You just have to be blind to miss them. On television, I have to say that their ads are the best ones out there with the bold and young going on adventures and showcasing the beauty of Indonesia. It's the subtlety for being brave, fun, independent, proud, and full of spirit that draws in even the non-smokers like myself. They are never direct, but it is exactly the indirect message that is perfect for cigarette advertisement because let's face it, having a male model smoking, no matter how handsome, would make him... unattractive.
Easy access of cigarettes in Indonesia is unbelievable. In the documentary, the correspondent, Christof Putzel asks a young boy who looks like he's about 10 years old to go get him some cigarettes. Of course, there is no problem. There is no law for checking the age of buyers, practically setting no boundaries for kids to smoke. Often we also see cigarettes being sold right outside the school gates. If the government is not proactive is setting up laws, why don't the adults in the community see something wrong in this trend? Why wouldn't the teachers, for example, ask not to have anyone selling cigarette near the school compound? The answer lies in the fact that a whooping 70% of Indonesian males smoke. The country is one addicted country. Many prioritize their money for cigarettes rather than sending their children to school. If that is not addiction, I don't know what is.
Just next to Indonesia, we have two countries also fighting their own battles against smoking. Lucky for them, the governments are the ones at the front lines of the battlefields. Singapore and Australia have long used intense graphics of rotten mouths, blackened lungs, cancerous lumps on their cigarette packs to deter smokers and remind them constantly of the dangers. I think the pictures are extreme, but they think at this point extreme measures have to be taken. Australia is currently trying to have all their cigarette packs wrapped in olive green (a color which apparently smokers detest the most), and all brand name to be printed with the same bland fonts. All these to make cigarettes even more unattractive. For this act, the government is facing a law suit from Phillip Morris, one of the biggest cigarette companies in the world. Where ever you are, smoking is always a long battle, where as an individual person who is trying to fight the addiction, or as a nation trying to reduce health hazards and negative impacts for younger generation. But, it's a battle worth fighting for.
In Indonesia this battle is far from being fought for, unfortunately. Smoking is a culture, a way of life, a daily comfort, a bond of friendship. Indonesia usually act only under global pressure, just like when Aldi became famous, or when Norwegians give us incentives to stop cutting down trees, or when our smoke from the forest fires reaches Malaysia and Singapore. Any smoke including those from cigarettes retained within the boundaries is our little secret that others should not know. This, is the worker's mentality, to work only when the pressure is on, to do as little as possible to get by. While we all know, only those with passion and a willingness to do more than asked would advance.
We are more than a smoking baby, don't kid ourselves.
