It’s not a secret anymore that cigarettes and other tobacco products, such as cigars, vape, and hookah, can be harmful to your body. Some cigarette fans even stop smoking due to the toxic compounds in the cigarette that are dangerous for health.
Rumors claim that clove cigarettes or kretek are possibly safer to consume than regular cigarettes. But is it true that clove cigarettes are healthier than regular ones? Check out the fact below!
Clove Cigarettes Are Safer Than Regular Cigarettes?
Just because it’s called a ‘clove cigarette’ doesn’t mean that the product is natural and free from tobacco. Contrary to its name, there is still tobacco inside a kretek. Clove cigarettes contain roughly 60-80 percent tobacco and 20-40 percent chopped clove or clove oil.
Shockingly, the nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide contents in clove cigarettes are higher than the regular ones! Regular consumption of nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide can increase your risk of having respiratory problems, such as lung infection and asthma.
Similar to regular cigarettes, clove cigarettes can also put you at risk of suffering lung cancer, heart problems, lung injury, and nicotine addiction. In addition, clove cigarettes can still cause damage to your teeth that can lead to dental decay.
Another dangerous substance in this Indonesian cigarette, besides nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, and tobacco, is the clove itself!
Clove contains eugenol that acts as mild anesthesia. This compound is the one that produces the cooling sensation in your mouth and throat. The chemical substance numbs your throat and makes you oblivious of the irritants in the clove cigarette.
You won’t feel the negative effects of the kretek and keep consuming it even more, which will increase your chance of experiencing respiratory illness or injury, especially in people who already have a respiratory problem. Moreover, there is a possibility that eugenol can damage your gag reflex.
On account of its danger, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned clove cigarettes and other flavored cigarettes, except for menthol-flavored cigarettes. Any attempts to manufacture, sell or import clove cigarettes are deemed illegal.
In conclusion, clove cigarettes are even more harmful than regular cigarettes. It’s best to stop smoking kretek or any other type of cigarette to avoid the risks.
How Are Clove Cigarettes Made?
Clove cigarettes are made by blending chopped cloves, tobacco, and ‘sauce’. The kretek maker uses wrapping paper to roll the mixture. The process can be done by hands or machines.
Clove cigarettes may contain more than 30 different types of tobacco and other ingredients in the sauce, such as cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg. The sauce is a mix of several different kinds of herbs, spices, and fruit extracts. Each company has its special sauce recipe that makes its cigarettes unique.
In the end, a sweetener can be added to the wrapping paper to give an extra sweet taste to the clove cigarette.
Can I Still Find Clove Cigarette in the U.S.?
You won’t be able to find clove cigarettes in the U.S. since the only available tobacco products that are ‘FDA approved’ are flavored tobacco pipes, menthol-flavored cigarettes, and cigars.
If you want to experience the taste of clove cigarettes from the tobacco products available in the U.S., you can try smoking the Djarum Black cigar.
Clove cigarettes fans must be familiar with the Djarum brand. Djarum is one of the biggest clove cigarette, or kretek brands from Indonesia, and one of its iconic products is the Djarum Black series.
In an attempt to provide a similar experience to the Djarum Black clove cigarette, Djarum introduced the Djarum Black cigar to U.S. cigarette lovers. The cigar is bigger and has a blend of cloves and dark leaf tobacco. The taste of the Djarum Black cigar is sweeter than the kretek one.
Instead of being rolled with the stylish Djarum’s Black kretek paper wrap, Djarum Black cigar uses homogenized tobacco leaf as the wrapper. But, word of caution, the cigar contains 32 milligrams of tar and 1.8 milligrams of nicotine.
Djarum Black cigar also has a filtered and unfiltered version. There are various types of Djarum Black cigar that you can purchase in the U.S., such as:
- Djarum Black Cigar Special
- Djarum Black Cigar Silver
- Djarum Black Cigar Ivory
- Djarum Black Cigar Sapphire
- Djarum Black Cigar Ruby
- Djarum Black Cigar Emerald.
- Djarum Black Cigar Original
Is There Any Healthier Tobacco Product?
Unfortunately, any types of tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, hookah, and vape, aren’t safe for health. Vape might be ‘healthier’ than smoking, but it still contains tobacco substances that can damage your health.
In other words, it’s best to stop smoking and avoid consuming tobacco products to lower your risks of having cancer and respiratory problems. If you are on your way to stop smoking, you can try changing from cigarettes to vaping before slowly stopping tobacco products consumption entirely.
How About Filtered Cigarettes as Well as Low Tar and Low Nicotine Cigarettes?
Filtered cigarettes don’t mean reduced health risks since you are still consuming the toxic substances in the cigarette.
The same applies to low tar and low nicotine cigarettes. In the end, you will still inhale the harmful compounds into your lungs. The safest way to a healthier life is to stop smoking any tobacco product.
Once in a Life Time Exquisite Experience
Despite all the health risks, clove cigarettes remain a favorite in cigarette lovers’ hearts due to their sweet, spicy, and bold flavor. In addition, kretek has a very aromatic and unique aroma that can entice your nose and tastebuds.
If you are still up to trying clove cigarettes, you can select and purchase the best clove cigarettes from Clove Cigarettes Online. The online store can supply you with a variety of premium local and international clove cigarette brands.
You can easily buy cigarettes online with just a simple tap on Clove Cigarettes Online! Make sure that you can have and smoke clove cigarettes in your state before purchasing them.