What is a kretek?
Kreteks are also frequently known as clove cigarettes. They are cigarettes that contain tobacco, clove or clove oil and some other additives. Clove is known to reduce asthma because of which these cigarettes are sometimes believed to be safer alternatives to regular cigarettes. But they have been found to contain the same amounts or sometimes greater amounts of tar and nicotine. They are usually made in Indonesia and exported to other countries.
Kretek health effects
These cigarettes are sometimes called clove cigarettes. But this term may be misleading as many come to think of kreteks as herbal cigarettes and assume that they are safer than regular cigarettes.
Some health effects of kreteks:
- They deliver more nicotine, carbon monoxide and tar to the body that regular cigarettes.
- They may cause the smoker to inhale deeper due to the numbing effect of clove oil.
- They may have severe allergic reactions to the chemicals in clove oil.
Other health effects:
- Bronchitis
- Acute lung injury
- Abnormalities in lung functioning
- Infections of the respiratory tract
- Pneumonia
Other than this, smokers may have reactions to eugenol, a chemical present in clove and clove oil. The reactions may be mild such as nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, increased breathing and heart rate. There may also be some severe reactions like burns in throat and mouth, intestinal bleeding or even liver/kidney failure.
Kretek statistics
These are some statistics for kretek usage in the U.S.
Middle school students
- 1.4% of middle school students
- 1.0% of female middle school students
- 1.7% of male middle school students
High school students
- 2.8% of high school students
- 2.0% of female high school students
- 3.6% of male high school students
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There are many misconceptions surrounding kreteks and their effects. They are as harmful as, if not more than, regular cigarettes and should be avoided. The presence of clove/clove oil does not make these cigarettes any safer for use. It is better to know about these cigarettes and their effects well before smoking them to avoid mishaps and physiological damage.
