Indonesian children as young as three are being taught how to smoke by being allowed to puff away on home-made ice pipes, a news report said Tuesday.

The seemingly innocent “Popeye Lauts” -- named after the smoking cartoon character -- are used by children across the capital Jakarta, the Daily Mail newspaper reported.

The devices are made by vendors in the sprawling New Market, where they are sold for just 1,000 rupees (122 won) to youngsters.
Each one is crafted out of solid lumps of dry ice, with a block slotted into a plastic cylinder.

The pipes are entirely legal and sold alongside ice creams from portable coolers, according to the report.