Chain Smoker At Four Years

A Chinese doctor has spoken of his shock to discover that a four-year-old boy is already a heavy smoker. Dong Dong, of Banqiao village, near Feidong town in eastern China's Anhui province, has reportedly been smoking since he was just two. His family, who run a grocery store, say they have been unable to stop him from stealing cigarettes, reports the Jianghuai Morning Post. Doctor Zhang Gong, from Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital, said it was shocking to see such a young child embrace such a dangerous habit. "From the way the boy smokes and his posture, he looks to have had a long history of smoking even though he is so young," he said. Dong lives with his grandparents, who run the shop, because his parents are migrant workers in another city. They say he started smoking by mimicking adults. "When he needs cigarettes, he just takes them from the house or steals a pack from the store. We just can't seem to stop him," said Dong's grandmother. They say Dong, who reportedly also drinks alcohol, learned to walk and talk later than other children of the same age in the village.