Clove Cigarettes or Kreteks and Bidis

Here is a question that I was recently asked:

Alice,
I smoke clove cigarettes which aren't like regular cigarettes. Clove cigarettes aren't bad for me, are they?

Clove cigarettes may also be called kreteks and are imported from Indonesia. They contain tobacco, shredded cloves (a spice) and other additives. When tested, they have been shown to deliver more nicotine, carbon monixed, and tar than regular cigarettes. These are NOT safer then regular cigarettes as some people may believe. In fact, research shows that smoking kreteks or cloves will increase your risk for lung serious lung injury especially for those who have asthma or respiratory infections. Research from Indonesia shows that regular clove or kretek users will have a 13-20 time risk for abnormal lung function compared to a nonsmoker.

Bidis (pronounced "bee-dees") are hand-rolled cigarettes imported mainly from India and other Southeast Asian countries. They can be flavored in cherry, chocolate, etc. Tobacco companies may misrepresent that they have less tobacco then a regular cigarette, however, they have been shown to have highter concentrations of nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide than regular cigarettes.

Please look the local resources on this site for more assistance and/or search your own state for ways to get help with quitting.

In health,
Alice