Health Risks for Clove Cigarettes

Clove cigarettes, also known as kreteks, are made up of about 70 percent tobacco, with the remainder consisting of cloves, oil and additives. This leads some people to assume that they are a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, but that is not the case. Clove cigarettes deliver more nicotine and other harsh chemicals than their regular counterparts.

Cancer

• Clove cigarettes contain tobacco, which means that it can potentially cause cancer, in spite of the exotic flavors. According to the American Cancer Society, the risk is not merely confined to the lungs, as other organs can be affected as well. Mouth, throat, esophagus and even the pancreas are all vulnerable. However, of the lung cancer deaths, smoking is attributed to nine out of 10 deaths.

Asthma

• Regular tobacco can cause asthma or irritate existing cases. Clove cigarettes pose an additional danger in that cloves and the chemicals associated with it have also been linked to several types of asthma. This condition is marked by wheezing, shortness of breath and tightness in the chest.

COPD

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, better known as emphysema, is caused mostly by smoking. It has another milder form, chronic bronchitis. The symptoms are similar to asthma, but also include fatigue, long-term cough with mucus and frequent respiratory infections. There is no cure for this disease, but it is nearly 100 percent preventable by not smoking.

Carbon Monoxide

• Carbon monoxide is a dangerous chemical that is present in regular tobacco smoke, but it is found to be even more prevalent in clove cigarettes. Carbon monoxide reduces the blood's ability to carry oxygen, which is one reason that smokers tend to get more fatigued than non-smokers. Also, the heart is forced to work harder to deliver the necessary oxygen, which is taxing over time.