Video of a 4-year-old boy smoking cigarettes and chewing on betel nut has sparked outrage on Chinese social media.
The boy, from Wentian, Central China's Hunan Province, appears in different clips lounging and puffing away on cigarettes while adults can be heard laughing and making comments in the background.
In one particular clip, the boy smokes with his legs crossed while simultaneously chewing on betel nut, another addictive stimulant particularly popular in Southeast Asia.
Authorities were alerted after video of the child went viral on platform WeChat, according to a Knews report Sunday.
"His parents are both migrant workers," said Zeng Xiong, a local deputy party secretary, sohu.com reported.
WeChat users claiming to know the child commented that the boy is in the care of his grandparents.
"He has been smoking for one to two years. He's unable to quit," read one comment on WeChat.
Local officials have since reached out to the grandparents, Zeng told media.
