Kretek

Clove cigarettes ( Indonesian: kretek ) are cigarettes that contain tobacco besides crushed cloves. The Indonesian tobacco is cased in addition to enhance the flavor with herbs and fruit extracts. These cigarettes are produced predominantly in Indonesia.

Kreteks were produced around 1880 by Haji Jamahri in the city of Kudus first time. The active ingredient eugenol contained in cloves should alleviate his asthma. In fact Jamahris heard on lung problems and he began to market his invention in his village. The triumph of clove cigarettes had begun. Today, kretek manufacturers employ over 180,000 people in Indonesia.

In the United States clove cigarettes are even more controversial than ordinary cigarettes. In the United States applies since September 22, 2009, a general ban on the sale of kreteks. This is justified by the fact that would be induced mainly by young people to smoke kreteks. However, the consumption remains legal and will continue with related cigarettes from Canada, where even before the American prohibition significantly higher nicotine and tar levels were measured ( up to 76 mg of tar and 3.4 mg nicotine).

The nicotine and tar yield of clove cigarettes are very high, and be in Europe usually the highest legal values ​​( currently 1.0 mg Nikotin/10 mg tar). Clove cigarettes are at least as harmful as conventional cigarettes, whether they are more harmful is still controversial.

Known, commercially available in Europe are Gudang Garam Kretekmarken ( with cinnamon and sugared filter), Djarum and Sampoerna.

• Cigarettes