Experts Warn Against Clove Cigarettes: Thailand

[webfact]

Experts warn against clove cigarettes

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Cigarettes flavoured to taste like clove are becoming popular among new smokers because they are tasty and do not make the throat hurt, a seminar on tobacco control was told yesterday.

The aromatic eugenol chemical compound used in the "clove cigarette" helps make the smoker's air sacs numb, prompting them to inhale deeper and subsequently get addicted to the rush of nicotine, Dr Hathai Chitanont, director of Thailand Health Promotion Institute, said.

"Firsttime smokers do not choke while trying out a clove cigarette and inhale deeper. This is considered more dangerous and should be regulated," he said.

The cigarettes, smuggled into Thailand from Malaysia, are widely available and at Bt20 for four cigarettes, are easily affordable by youngsters, Assoc Prof Sriratch Larpyai, a Rangsit University lecturer, said.

He explained that these cigarettes come in different flavours and some even have bits of mint candy inside them, which makes smoking a delicious experience. Also, the cigarettes are sold in attractive packaging, are smaller in size and some are even marked "slim" to attract women.

These cigarettes can be found in most of Bangkok's night markets as well as in Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi.

Studies show that the sale of clove cigarettes is more widespread than conventional cigarettes, for which a permit is required. Originally produced in Indonesia, the clove cigarette was banned in the United States in September 2009 on grounds that it could easily get young smokers addicted. Before being banned, the clove cigarettes held a Bt1trillion market share in the US.

Indonesian manufacturers later filed a complaint against the ban and won. They had cited the imports of menthol cigarettes, which are not much different from the cloveflavoured brands, according to a relevant World Trade Organisation ruling.

Meanwhile, sale and possession of clove cigarettes violates two laws in Thailand: an excise law for which the violator will be charged Bt500 in fines as well as 50 times the excise duty and the public health law, under which they can face Bt100,000 in fines and/or six months in prison.

-- The Nation 2012-01-27

[Ijustwannateach]

Anecdotally, I had a friend in college (guess he was about 21 at the time) who smoked a pack or two of these things a day for a year or so. And then had his first heart attack.

For god's sake don't smoke these.

[Ulysses G.]

Don't smoke at all.

[RedNIvar]

Inhale deeper! what's the difference with a normal inhale. You are taking the nasty smoke into your lungs either way. I do not think inhaling deeper will access parts of your lungs normally unused by normal inhalation. Cloved or not, they are both nasty and will kill you eventually.

[Bakseedaa]

Inhale deeper! what's the difference with a normal inhale. You are taking the nasty smoke into your lungs either way. I do not think inhaling deeper will access parts of your lungs normally unused by normal inhalation. Cloved or not, they are both nasty and will kill you eventually.

Hate to spring this surprise on you mate.... But life itself kills you eventually.... One way or another..!

[WyattEarp]

So following your logic it's ok to go and do stupid things that will shorten your lifespan considerably?

Russian roulette?

[renaissanc]

Cigarette producers must be the most evil people on the planet. The work of all of the world's dictators and terrorists pale in comparison with the deaths these people cause with obvious relish.

[blackthorn2005]

'which makes smoking a delicious experience' One way of putting it. I wonder how he would describe an orgasm?

[Jingthing]

Back in my hippie days (Groovy!) Indonesian clove ciggies were the gateway drug for preteens to harder stuff ... real reefers (preferably Thai stick). Flashback time. I don't recall deeply inhaling the clove stuff as it was more about flavor.

Edited January 27, 2012 by Jingthing

[transam]

So following your logic it's ok to go and do stupid things that will shorten your lifespan considerably?

Russian roulette?

Soon as you get out of bed you are at risk of shortening your lifespan from anything out there.

[transam]

Back in my hippie days (Groovy!) Indonesian clove ciggies were the gateway drug for preteens to harder stuff ... real reefers (preferably Thai stick). Flashback time. I don't recall deeply inhaling the clove stuff as it was more about flavor.

LSD avatar eh.

[Jingthing]

It is true clove ciggies which are unfiltered are more of a health risk than regular ciggies but they are of course both bad.

[anterian]

I smoke miniature cigars, cigarettes make me cough. As these cigars are not easy to buy in my area of Thailand sometimes when getting low on stock I will break a few up and make rollups. These also make me cough. I think there are two factors in this, the cigarette paper contain saltpeter to help it burn, a cigar burns at a lower temperature because there is no saltpeter, so less tars distill over.

Incidentally cigarette smokers inhale deeper than cigar smokers, so cigarette smokers get lung cancer, cigar smokers mouth and throat cancers.

Edited January 27, 2012 by anterian

[hellodolly]

So following your logic it's ok to go and do stupid things that will shorten your lifespan considerably?

Russian roulette?

Yes it is.

Life is not meant to be a endurance contest. Itis meant to be lived and enjoyed.

Perhaps living in a hermetically sealed bubble so you don't have to breath the contaminated air is your thing but many of us want more out of life and take chances. Just getting on a motorbike for a short trip can get you killed but we do it any way.

If I am given the choice between Quantity and Quality I will take the Quality.

But I will not smoke that was a thirty year period of my life that for the last ten years gave me no joy what so ever.

[Roj]

Cigarette producers must be the most evil people on the planet. The work of all of the world's dictators and terrorists pale in comparison with the deaths these people cause with obvious relish.

I remember when China opened their first night clubs and major brand cigarette manufacturers where inside handing out complimentary cigarettes. Once again profit before people.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Inhale deeper! what's the difference with a normal inhale. You are taking the nasty smoke into your lungs either way. I do not think inhaling deeper will access parts of your lungs normally unused by normal inhalation. Cloved or not, they are both nasty and will kill you eventually.

Absolutely untrue - that's why pot smokers damage their lungs more per gram smoked, inhaling the tar etc into the furthest reaches of your lungs (alveoli, cilia) and holding it in longer will cause more harm than normal smoking.

[monty1412]

Cigarette producers must be the most evil people on the planet. The work of all of the world's dictators and terrorists pale in comparison with the deaths these people cause with obvious relish.

Yes Im surprised that Philip Morris / TTM aren't up there on the most hated list with Hitler/ Stalin /Mussolini/ Amin/ Dr No/ Goldmember , Margaret Thatcher, Tin Tin, and all other despots.

Of course never mind the fact that most global democratic governments make a huge amount of revenue in form of excise and tax from cigarettes. So apart from being evil could they also be ascribed status as global revenue suppliers.... revenue that supports education/ social welfare and other government activites.

So we have most evil benefactors now

Of course lets turn attention to smokers themselves.. on average they die earlier, do not place as a group as much burden on social welfare/ social security and pay more than non smokers do in indirect taxes . So now we have two groups of benefactors; one evil the other unwittingly puffing away fro societies greater benefit ....

Glad we got that all straight.....

[belg]

i'll start smoking if they have cigarettes with chocolate or coffee flavor

[ignis]

Of course never mind the fact that most global democratic governments make a huge amount of revenue in form of excise and tax from cigarettes. So apart from being evil could they also be ascribed status as global revenue suppliers.... revenue that supports education/ social welfare and other government activites.

So we have most evil benefactors now

Of course lets turn attention to smokers themselves.. on average they die earlier, do not place as a group as much burden on social welfare/ social security and pay more than non smokers do in indirect taxes . So now we have two groups of benefactors; one evil the other unwittingly puffing away fro societies greater benefit ....

Glad we got that all straight.....

So if you smoke you die early ? or so some will have you believe....... I wonder how many people die every day/year from Cancer and have never smoked or been in the company of any smokers in there life?

Re- smokers mouth and throat cancers. err my Mother aged 41, her brother aged 38 and the other one aged 46, my Cousin aged 22, another cousin last year aged 49, ALL these died of mouth and or throat cancers, ALL have never smoked or been in the company of any smokers in there life !!

A friend died 2 years ago but he was aged 96 and smoked all his life 40 + a day, others smoke and still smoke for 50 + years and in good health...

There again you would not see many smokers in Thailand if the prices were the same as the UK, now believe around 300 baht for 20 [1 packet]

So if everyone stopped smoking where will the revenue for the Government come from ? Yes we all know in the UK the less cigarettes sold the more the petrol prices, car tax etc goes up,

Edited January 27, 2012 by ignis

[pepi2005]

i'll start smoking if they have cigarettes with chocolate or coffee flavor

actually, both of them exist in Indonesia.

You can also buy them in Cambodia, and some of the mentioned Thai street 'shops' have them as well in their portfolio. ;-)

[RedNIvar]

I am not here to judge anyone's actions. To each their own. The point I'm trying to make is, if you have already chosen to smoke; what is the big deal if you decide that your choice is clove cigarettes, or mentholated cigarettes or cigars or etc. What is the OP trying to say, it is healthier to smoke regular tobacco compared to tobacco with cloves?

Anyway, its a Friday and there is a bar with a happy hour with my name written on it.

[scorecard]

Cigarette producers must be the most evil people on the planet. The work of all of the world's dictators and terrorists pale in comparison with the deaths these people cause with obvious relish.

I remember when China opened their first night clubs and major brand cigarette manufacturers where inside handing out complimentary cigarettes. Once again profit before people.

Many years back I was invited to persent a seminar in Kuala Lumpur about civil society and sustainable development. As the paying attendees arrived (not cheap) someone noticed 4 or 5 attendees (all ladies) from BAT British American Tobacco.

The lady immediately got my attention And the attendtion of everybody in the room) and asked that the people from BAT be refused entrance. Instantly the majority of the other folks said they agreed, and said if the BAT people remained they would all leave and demand their money back..

I placed the situation quickly and squarely in the hands of the seminar organizer, she quickly asked the BAT people to leave and their fees were refunded. I did learn later in the day that here had ben some quite negative newspaper headlines and TV coverage the previous day in KL about tobacco and numbers of smoking relted deaths etc.

The seminar organizer learnt a lesson to be quite careful about mixing participants.

[happysanook]

clove cigarette ban brought to u by ur pals who r making the major brand cigarettes.

one trillion baht in the us alone. guess who's taking that dough now? yup. marlboro baby.

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[swerver]

1. 
   When I lived in what now is Indonesia some sixty years ago the clove cigarettes were called Kretek. These were supposedly pure clove cigarettes. I do not smoke, so I cannot give personal experience.
   I guess over the decades they have tampered with the clove cigarette and now it has become a poison to the human lungs.
   Whatever it is Mother Nature produces the human race cannot leave it alone GREED and has to tamper with it and in the process make it more dangerous.
   

[rotary]

We better warn the girls at Patpong not to use these clove cigarettes

[tolstoy]

There was a pathology research on ciggarrettes vs clove cigs nearly 30 years ago. The research showed the lungs of the two. Those that smoked had black lungs with enlarged areas that reduced the capacity for breathing. The lungs of those who smoked clove ciggarettes had actual holes some small but some as large as ping pong balls.

People who smoke don't care about their health period. Those that smoke cloves care even less.

Pure cloves contain an OH group making it an alcohol chemically. It is worse for the body beyond any other thing that people smoke (legal) natural or not.

Recent reports atually show that marijuana doesn't do long term damage to the lungs. Not that I fully trust those reports. But I don't think that it is the deep inhalation as much as it is the chemical composition.

[Heimdallr]

Yeah it's indeed the chemicals in cigarettes that are hazardous to your health. These cancer rolls just contain a chemical that will destroy your health a tad bit faster.

[Ulysses G.]

Recent reports atually show that marijuana doesn't do long term damage to the lungs.

That study was based on a few joints a week. Cigarette smokers commonly smoke more than 10 cancer sticks a day and often many more. Of course cigarettes damage the lungs worse.

[happysanook]

ur most likely high if u think smoking pot does less damage to ur lungs than tobacco. of course as already mentioned, a casual pot user who smokes a joint or two a week will fair better than someone who smokes a pack of tobacco smokes a day...

but puff for puff, pot is far worse physically for ur lungs.

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[TAWP]

So following your logic it's ok to go and do stupid things that will shorten your lifespan considerably?

Russian roulette?

Yes, that should be allowed. Why not?