What happened to the Indonesian boy who once smoked 40 cigarettes a day

In 2010, a video of Ardi Rizal walking in diapers and smoking at just 18 months old sparked international outrage. The Indonesian child reportedly smoked as many as 40 cigarettes a day.

The habit began in Teluk Kemang, a village in southern Sumatra, where his mother sold fish. Ardi started collecting cigarettes in the village square after watching people smoke. He later told The Sydney Morning Herald that his father gave him his first cigarette. His condition eventually prompted intervention from Indonesia’s Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection.

His parents struggled to stop the addiction. When they took away his cigarettes, Ardi reportedly had violent tantrums and hit his head. The family eventually sought professional assistance, and three years after the case began, child psychologist Seto Mulyadi started guiding his rehabilitation.

Stopping smoking brought severe anxiety, which Ardi compensated for with food. His weight problems worsened, and by age five he weighed 24 kilograms. He could eat three chicken legs, two bowls of meatball soup and a can of condensed milk in one meal. He reduced his portions after starting school and facing ridicule from classmates over the amount of food he brought.

Twelve years after his story went viral, Ardi, now 14, is described as one of the youngest people to overcome cigarette addiction. He attends primary school and follows a strict diet of fish and vegetables to reach a healthy weight. He now gives interviews about how difficult it is to leave addictions behind.