Audio By Carbonatix
Authorities in China are dealing with what is believed to be the country's youngest alcoholic - a boy aged just two years old.
Cheng Cheng first tried wine at 10 months, and downed his first bottle of beer before the age of one.
Now, the toddler in eastern China's Anhui province screams for alcohol as his parents struggle to move him onto milk and soft drinks.
His habit has sparked outrage in local media, with doctors urging his parents to take immediate action to prevent life-threatening damage to his organs.
Social services are this week debating whether to place him in care.
But incredibly, his parents and relatives have joked about Cheng Cheng's taste for alcohol. It started when he was a baby and his father gave him a drop of wine to stop him crying, reports claim.
Not yet in school, the little boy can now allegedly drink up a whole bottle of beer without any noticeable effects.
His aunt Cai Teng said: 'At that time, all of us in the family have already thought that this child can really drink a lot when he grows up.'
Whenever his family takes out bottles of alcohol, he demands to drink some, she explained.
His mother, fearing that she and her husband could face legal consequences over their questionable parenting, has reportedly tried to get him to swap booze for milk, juice or other drinks.
But she said: 'His eyes are always on the alcohol bottles. We can only try their best to store the bottles in a place which in not seen by him.'
Cai said that during big festivals Cheng Cheng would cry for alcohol when he saw relatives and friends drinking.
She said: 'As sometimes he is really noisy, we have no options but let him to try a little bit of wine.'
A few days ago, Cheng Cheng's father shared a bottle of beer with Cheng Cheng who downed it in minutes. Cai said that Cheng Cheng's ability to handle alcohol has made the family both surprised and worried.
'We will not let him drink or touch alcohol anymore as we afraid that it will affect his growth,' she added.
Pediatricians in mainland China said that the body and organs in children at this age are not well-developed. A little bit of alcohol can easily harm their health.
Latest Stories
-
GhIE urges engineers to uphold competence and due process in national infrastructure delivery
49 seconds -
Mahama directs upgrade of Ho and Hohoe from Municipal to Metropolitan status
7 minutes -
Netherlands donates new scanners to boost Ghana’s fight against drug trafficking
20 minutes -
CEDA commends Lands Minister over lithium agreement talks amid resignition demands
22 minutes -
NPP Flagbearer Race: Reckless politics threatens party unity — Kozie warns
49 minutes -
R2Bees drop ‘Two Two’ and ‘Awurade Aye’, hint at 2026 EP
57 minutes -
‘There Is Rice At Home’ returns to the stage on December 18
1 hour -
77th Mafi Hogbetsotso: Traditional leaders call for unity and peace to drive development in Central Tongu
2 hours -
Lands Ministry touts gains in forest restoration
2 hours -
Building capacity for climate action: The CAP25 Story
2 hours -
Chamber of Mines urges caution over proposed mineral royalty reforms
2 hours -
Ghana has serious domestic challenges; international charity demands careful scrutiny – Afenyo-Markin
2 hours -
IMF Board approves Ghana’s 5th Programme review, $300m+ disbursement expected
2 hours -
Kwesi Botchway Jnr seeks status report from Attorney-General on EOCO galamsey probe
3 hours -
Minority’s call for Lands Minister’s resignation lacks substance – Ministry
3 hours
