Why Are Clove Cigarettes Illegal?

Clove cigarette’s spicy, sweet, yet bold aroma and taste make it popular among U.S. cigarette fans, especially the younger ones. The exotic Indonesian cigarettes were once available in the U.S. until the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned them in 2009.

This decision made the cigarette lovers’ community wonder why clove cigarettes are illegal and how dangerous kretek is to health? Find the answer to your lingering questions about the clove cigarette ban through this article!

What Makes Clove Cigarettes Unique?

Compared to a regular tobacco cigarette, a clove cigarette or kretek has a spicier, sweeter, and bolder taste. It has an aromatic scent, and sometimes, you can even taste other spices, like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. 

The other spices might come from the ‘sauce’ that the brand uses. The sauce combines different types of spices, herbs, and fruits extracts. Every cigarette company will have a different recipe that makes them distinct.

The unique taste and aroma make clove cigarettes popular in the cigarette fans community, including US citizens. Similar to regular cigarettes, you can find hand-rolled clove cigarettes and machine-rolled clove cigarettes. 

Clove Cigarette Isn’t the Only Illegal Tobacco Product

In 2009, the FDA banned clove cigarettes and all kinds of flavored tobacco, except for menthol-flavored cigarettes. The act of producing, selling, and importing clove cigarettes is now illegal in the U.S.. 

Tobacco products saved from this ban are only flavored tobacco pipes, menthol-flavored cigarettes, and cigars. In other words, a cigarette can only contain tobacco and menthol. This is surely a piece of bad news for clove cigarette fans in the United States. 

Why Are Clove Cigarettes Illegal?

The decision to make clove cigarettes illegal is still a controversial debate now, considering that people in the U.S. choose menthol-flavored cigarettes over clove cigarettes or kretek. Some speculate a political influence in the ‘clove cigarettes illegal’ verdict. 

Allegedly, the clove cigarette ban was created to protect Philip Morris company so the U.S. tobacco company could maintain its position in the cigarette business competition. Therefore, it isn’t weird to see Philip Morris supporting the ban. But of course, this is just a speculation and unproven accusation. 

The FDA gave an official reason why clove cigarettes are illegal. Clove cigarettes and other flavored cigarettes are quite popular and enticing for young smokers below 18 years old. 

To decrease smoking activity in the younger generation and protect children and teenagers in the U.S., the government decided to pass the bill and deemed clove cigarettes illegal. Furthermore, clove cigarettes are more harmful than regular cigarettes.

How Dangerous Are Clove Cigarettes?

Clove cigarettes were once thought to be safer than regular cigarettes. Unfortunately, these exotic Indonesian cigarettes are far more dangerous than regular ones.

Clove cigarette has 20-40 percent shredded clove or clove oil and 60-80 percent tobacco. So, if you smoke a kretek, you will still inhale the toxic compounds in tobacco. Moreover, clove cigarette has a higher level of tar, carbon monoxide, and nicotine than regular cigarettes in the U.S..

People who smoke clove cigarette is 20 times more likely to experience breathing problem, such as lung infection, asthma, and abnormal lung function, than people who don’t consume clove cigarette.

Lung cancer, nicotine addiction, heart disease, and dental decay are some physical problems that clove cigarette smokers will likely encounter. 

You might think that clove is a healthy spice since it’s traditionally used as medicine and even incorporated in Asian cuisines to enhance the flavor. But, if it’s blended with tobacco and made into cigarettes, the clove will be a harmful product.

Clove has a chemical substance called eugenol. Dentists usually use this substance as mild anesthesia during surgery. Clove cigarette smokers will find the eugenol in clove soothing and refreshing to the throat and mouth.

Eugenol numbs your throat and will make you inhale the toxic substances in kretek deeper into the lungs. The more you consume clove cigarettes, the higher your chance of suffering respiratory problems or injuries. In addition, eugenol can impair your gag reflex.

Is There Any Alternative for Clove Cigarette?

The health risks in clove cigarettes don’t deter some cigarettes fans from trying this aromatic kretek. The decision to make clove cigarettes illegal has disappointed clove cigarette lovers. If you are searching for an alternative to clove cigarettes, you can try the Djarum Black cigar.

Djarum brand is famous for its Djarum Black series that features clove cigarettes. After the ban, Djarum created a Djarum Black cigar with clove. 

Compared to Djarum Black clove cigarette, Djarum Black has a sweeter taste and uses homogenized tobacco leaf as the wrapping paper. It is bigger than Djarum Black kretek with 32 milligrams of tar and 1.8 milligrams of nicotine.

You can get a filtered and unfiltered version of Djarum Black cigar in the U.S. with various flavors, such as Djarum Black Cigar Silver, Djarum Black Cigar Emerald, Djarum Black Cigar Sapphire, etc. 

Is It Possible to Purchase Clove Cigarette Outside the U.S.?

The good news is, you can buy clove cigarettes online without feeling wary of the ‘clove cigarette illegal’ ban. The only problem is choosing the best and most trusted shop for you to purchase from. Fortunately, you don’t need to search for a long time, just visit Clove Cigarettes Online!

Clove Cigarettes Online has been selling excellent clove cigarettes since 2009. From Djarum to Gudang Garam, you can find a selection of exotic Indonesian kretek in this store! You can just choose which clove cigarette suits your preference and buy it from Clove Cigarettes Online.

Although, don’t forget to check if you are allowed to store and smoke clove cigarettes in your state before purchasing them.