The mother of 2-year-old Ardi Rizal -- the Sumatran toddler who caused a sensation last week when video footage of him smoking a cigarette turned up online -- has vowed to get help for her child.
Ardi's mother Diana told reporters in Jakarta that her son, who smokes an average of 40 cigarettes each day, throws tantrums and even vomits when he can't satisfy his addiction.
"I learned that I can't use force to stop him," said Diana, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. "I need to be gentle and try to distract him."
Authorities have called Ardi "a victim of his environment" and say they are disturbed that his parents' motivation to get their son to quit stemmed more from concern over the cost rather than a true understanding of risks to the boy's health.
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Indonesia is the only country in the Asia-Pacific region that has yet to ratify the World Health Organization's framework on tobacco control, which calls for health warnings and other anti-smoking measures.
