Vanguard reporter Christof Putzel heads to Indonesia to explore the phenomenon of young children smoking cigarettes, with their parents apparently more than happy to supply them with cigarettes. Somehow the tobacco industry has managed to convince everyday Indonesians that smoking doesn’t cause health problems. This 2011 documentary has also appeared online with the incorrect title of ‘Secrets of the Tobacco Industry‘. The film was inspired by the viral 2010 YouTube clip of a two-year-old Indonesian baby who was chain-smoking cigarettes like a pro.
The documentary reveals some shocking practices by tobacco companies in the country, including advertising which appears to be targeted towards kids, ensuring that they have got their next generation of customers hooked on nicotine before their minds have developed well enough to make their own informed decisions. A David vs Goliath battle is being waged in Indonesia between small groups of anti-smoking advocates and a corrupt government which is happy to remain in denial in return for dollars of big tobacco.
