Are “bidis” and clove cigarettes safer than regular cigarettes?
A. No. Bidis are thin, flavored, unfiltered tobacco cigarettes from India. They are popular because they are cheaper, come in attractive flavors (chocolate, strawberry, licorice, and grape), and are perceived as safer and more natural than cigarettes. Actually, they release more nicotine and other toxic chemicals than do ordinary smokes. Clove cigarettes also are no safer than regular cigarettes despite the claims. Known as kreteks and imported chiefly from Indonesia, they are about 60 percent tobacco and 40 percent ground cloves. Some have filters; some do not. Clove smoke adds its own harmful substances to tobacco smoke, and these cigarettes deliver more tar than regular cigarettes do.
