Child smokers prompt Indonesia legal case
Summary
TLDRThe script highlights the tobacco industry's shift to developing countries like Indonesia, where smoking rates, especially among children, are soaring. It tells the story of Ilham, an eight-year-old addicted to smoking for four years, illustrating the severe public health crisis Indonesia faces. The industry's aggressive marketing and the government's lack of education and regulation are blamed for the epidemic. Ilham's struggle with addiction and his family's inability to help him underscore the urgent need for action.
Takeaways
- 🚭 Tobacco industry is shifting focus to developing countries like Indonesia as regulations tighten in the West.
- 📈 There is a significant increase in smoking rates in Indonesia, including among children, with around 5 million child smokers.
- 🌍 Indonesia is facing a public health crisis due to high smoking rates, which is a greater epidemic than many other nations.
- 👦 The story of Ilham, an 8-year-old boy who has been smoking for four years, illustrates the severity of the issue.
- 🏠 Parents in Ilham's village are often unaware of child health and discipline, making it easier for the tobacco industry to sell cigarettes.
- 🔥 Ilham's addiction has led him to steal and sell household items to fund his smoking habit.
- 🏷️ The favorite brand of Ilham is 'You Mild', owned by the global tobacco giant Philip Morris.
- 📺 Ilham's story was featured on local TV, leading to an invitation for his family to join a rehabilitation program in Jakarta.
- 🏥 Despite a month in rehab, Ilham's addiction was not effectively addressed, and he ran away from home.
- 📉 In contrast to the US and Australia, where child smoking rates have significantly decreased, Indonesia has seen a tripling in less than a decade.
- 🤝 The national children's charity in Indonesia is planning to sue both big tobacco and the government, using Ilham's case as a study.
- 📜 Indonesia has not signed the International Convention on tobacco control, and draft laws are currently weaker than required by the convention.
Q & A
What is happening in Australia regarding tobacco regulations?
-Australia is implementing plain packaging laws as part of a crackdown on tobacco, which is causing big tobacco companies to shift their focus to developing countries.
Why are tobacco companies refocusing their sales efforts on developing countries like Indonesia?
-As the market for tobacco shrinks in Western countries due to stricter regulations, companies are seeking new markets where they can sell their products, leading to an increase in smoking rates, including among children, in developing countries.
How old is the boy mentioned in the script, and how long has he been smoking?
-The boy, Ilhan, is eight years old and has been smoking for four years.
What is the estimated number of child smokers in Indonesia?
-There are around 5 million child smokers in Indonesia.
What is the general situation regarding child health and discipline in the village where Ilhan lives?
-Parents in Ilhan's village are often ignorant about basic child health, well-being, and discipline, making it easier for the tobacco industry to sell cigarettes to children.
What is the impact of the tobacco industry's marketing on children in Indonesia?
-The tobacco industry's marketing makes it almost impossible for kids to avoid cigarettes, leading to a public health tragedy with a high number of children starting to smoke.
What was Ilhan's initial experience with cigarettes?
-Ilhan's addiction began when his father sent him to fetch a packet of cigarettes from the local shop, and he soon started buying them secretly for himself.
How did Ilhan fund his smoking habit when his parents cut off his pocket money?
-Ilhan resorted to stealing and selling household items like rice to fund his smoking habit.
What brand of cigarettes is Ilhan's favorite, and who owns it?
-Ilhan's favorite brand is 'You Mild', which is owned by the global tobacco giant Philip Morris.
What action did the national children's charity take after Ilhan was featured on local TV?
-The national children's charity invited Ilhan's family to join a rehabilitation program in Jakarta to help him quit smoking.
What is the situation regarding smoking rates among children in the US and Australia compared to Indonesia?
-Over the last 20 years, the rate of children smoking in the US has halved, and in Australia, it has fallen even more, but in Indonesia, it has tripled in less than 10 years.
What is the stance of the national children's charity regarding big tobacco and the government?
-The national children's charity holds both big tobacco and the government equally responsible and plans to sue them using Ilhan's case as one of its studies.
What is the current state of tobacco control laws in Indonesia?
-Indonesia is the only country in Southeast Asia that hasn't signed the International Convention on tobacco control, and draft new laws being prepared are much weaker than the convention requires.
What is the tobacco industry's response to accusations of targeting children with their products?
-The tobacco industry insists they do not target children and argues that it's not their fault if most of their new customers start smoking when they are too young to know what's good for them.
Outlines
🚭 The Plight of Child Smokers in Indonesia
This paragraph discusses the impact of the tobacco industry's shift towards developing countries like Indonesia, where plain packaging and strict regulations are not yet in place. It highlights the tragic story of an eight-year-old boy named Ilhan, who has been smoking for four years. The script reveals the commonality of child smokers in Indonesia, where over 60% of men are smokers, and most started in childhood. Ilhan's addiction has led him to steal and sell family possessions to fund his habit. His parents' inability to discipline him and the tobacco industry's marketing strategies are blamed for his situation. The paragraph also mentions the boy's favorite brand, 'You Mild,' owned by Philip Morris, and the parents' call for the industry to be reined in to protect children.
📉 The Global Impact of Tobacco Industry on Child Smoking Rates
The second paragraph focuses on the tobacco industry's global strategy and its consequences, particularly in Indonesia. It contrasts the decline in child smoking rates in developed countries like the US and Australia with the alarming increase in Indonesia, where the rate has tripled in less than a decade. The national children's charity holds both the tobacco industry and the government responsible, planning to sue them using Ilhan's case as a study. The paragraph also touches on Indonesia's lack of adherence to the International Convention on tobacco control and the industry's influence on weakening draft laws, including reducing health warnings and increasing the size of billboards. The industry and its lobbyists deny targeting children and claim that it's not their fault that many of their customers start smoking at a young age.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Crackdown
💡Plain Packaging
💡Developing Countries
💡Smoking Rates
💡Child Smokers
💡Public Health Tragedy
💡Tobacco Industry
💡Addiction
💡Rehabilitation Program
💡International Convention on Tobacco Control
💡Economic Terrorism
Highlights
Australia is implementing plain packaging as part of a crackdown on tobacco.
Big tobacco companies are shifting their focus to developing countries like Indonesia due to shrinking markets in the West.
Indonesia is experiencing a massive increase in smoking rates, including among children.
There are around 5 million child smokers in Indonesia.
Indonesia faces a public health tragedy from smoking, potentially greater than any other nation.
Ilhan, an 8-year-old boy, has been smoking for four years, highlighting the disturbingly common issue in Indonesia.
Parents in Indonesia are often ignorant about child health and discipline, making it easier for the tobacco industry to sell cigarettes to children.
Over 60% of Indonesian children try a cigarette before the age of 10.
Ilhan's addiction led him to steal to fund his habit when his parents stopped giving him pocket money.
Ilhan's favorite brand is 'You Mild', owned by global tobacco giant Philip Morris.
Parents argue that the tobacco industry targets children and needs to be regulated.
Ilhan's family was invited to a rehabilitation program in Jakarta after he was featured on local TV.
Rehabilitation efforts for Ilhan were largely unsuccessful, and he ran away from home after being released.
Ilhan's parents fear losing him again as he threatens to run away if not given cigarettes.
Child smoking rates in the US have halved, and in Australia, they've fallen even more, but in Indonesia, they've tripled in less than 10 years.
The national children's charity in Indonesia plans to sue big tobacco and the government, using Ilhan's case as a study.
Indonesia has not signed the International Convention on tobacco control and is preparing weaker laws than required.
The tobacco industry's lobbyists have weakened draft laws, reducing health warnings and allowing larger billboards.
Philip Morris and the industry lobby group claim they do not target children and are not responsible for underage smoking.
Transcripts
in the Western world there's been a huge
crackdown on tobacco here in Australia
of course we're about to see the start
of plain packaging while big tobacco's
market shrinks here and elsewhere it's
refocusing its sales efforts on
developing countries like Indonesia the
result is a massive increase in smoking
rates including among children Indonesia
correspondent Matt Brown reports on the
plight of one little boy who's found it
impossible to kick the habit the hardy
ill home is just eight years old but
he's already been smoking for four years
I'm just wanting cigarettes just wanting
them while this is undoubtedly a
shocking sight it's also disturbingly
common in Indonesia which has around 5
million child smokers Indonesia faces a
public health tragedy from smoking that
probably is great or greater as any
nation in the world with so many
children starting they're facing a true
epidemic
Ilhan lives in the little village of
Karawang gita about 120 kilometres south
of jakarta parents here are often
ignorant about basic child health
well-being and discipline against that
backdrop the tobacco industry is selling
a health hazard so ubiquitous it's
almost impossible for kids to avoid
[Music]
where did you get the cigarettes from
the people I sometimes give me
cigarettes there's no other country
where a third of all kids test try a
cigarette before the age of 10 in an
Indonesia were over 60% of men smoke
over 80% of them started as a child ill
Homs addiction has taken him on an
extraordinary and traumatic journey it
began when his father sent him to the
local shop to fetch a packet of
cigarettes pretty soon Ilhan was buying
them in secret for himself when his
parents cut off his pocket money he
resorted to stealing to fund his habit
when we didn't give him money and he
found rice at home he'd go selling the
rice anything he could sell in the house
he would sell his parents didn't know
how to discipline their own son they
were no match for his craving for
nicotine and became an angry
overstimulated little boy Sudheer then I
feel sad regretful and ashamed that I
could not educate my child ill home will
smoke anything he can get his hands on
but his favorite brand is you mild owned
by the global tobacco giant Philip
Morris what ads do you ever see ones
like you mild super I don't know ill
harms parents say his plight is proof
the industry targets children and must
be reined in
I lost and ni dongmou my song if I see
people installing cigarette ads around
here now I say to them dude stop putting
that here look what you've done to my
son my boy is a victim of the cigarette
companies don't you care at all about
him Indonesia is a reflection of what
happens when you allow the tobacco
industry to do whatever they want to
make their products appealing to
children and you do virtually nothing to
educate your population when ill harm
was featured on local TV in March a
national children's charity invited his
family to join a rehabilitation program
in Jakarta what I want to achieve is to
bring back the real children's world ill
ham needs to enjoy his playtime he's got
a right to go to school and a right to
be healthy after a month in rehab
Ilhan was released but little had been
achieved it was not a happy homecoming
and Hill Homs ordeal was about to take
another terrible twist his parents were
devastated when ill harm ran away from
home it was three weeks before
Ilhan was found trying to steal from a
mosque donation box 300 kilometers away
I feel disappointed that I couldn't take
care of my own child perfectly now he
even has a new weapon he says if you
don't give me cigarettes I will run away
again as a parent I now fear of losing
him once more
it's well known that the industry turned
to places like Indonesia as regulations
tightened up in the developed world but
the statistics on child smoking paint a
truly damning picture over the last 20
years or so the rate of children smoking
in the US has halved and in Australia
it's fallen even more but in Indonesia
it's tripled in less than 10 years the
national children's charity says big
tobacco and the government are equally
to blame and its planning to sue both
using ill harm as one of its case
studies I cried because children became
victims of a greedy state which fails to
protect public health and a greedy
cigarette industry which is only focused
on making profits Indonesia is the only
country in Southeast Asia
which hasn't signed the International
Convention on tobacco control draft new
laws being prepared right now a much
weaker than the convention requires but
the industry and its supporters like
opposition MP Hendren Supra techno are
fighting even those I considered
economic terrorism because you know the
issue now this industry has contributed
a lot for the country ok
the industry's lobbyists have already
succeeded in weakening the draft laws
cutting health warnings from 50% down to
40% of a pack and a plan to limit
billboards to 16 square meters is blown
out to allow 72 square meters and that
would make something like this look
positively modest neither Philip Morris
nor the industry lobby group would be
interviewed for this program but they
insist they do not target children and
it's not their fault that most of their
new customers get the taste when they're
too young to know what's good for them
Matt Brown with that
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