Introduction A key aim of WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is to reduce the appeal of tobacco products1: Article 9 states: From the perspective of public health, there is no justification for permitting the use of ingredients, such as flavouring agents, which help make tobacco products attractive.2 As of September 2022, twenty-three countries plus the European Union (EU) have implemented policies restricting flavour chemicals in tobacco products.3 4 Indonesia is a country with one of the largest numbers of people who smoke, with 34% of Indonesians aged 15+ using tobacco in 2018.5 About 73% of people who smoked tobacco in Indonesia in 2014 smoked clove-mixed tobacco cigarettes known as kreteks.6 In Indonesia, non-clove cigarettes are referred to as white cigarettes (henceforth herein simply cigarettes).7 Kreteks have been found to result in higher exposures to particulate matter, nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide per stick than cigarettes.8 9 Inhaling eugenolthe primary flavouring chemical in kretekshas been linked to a number of animal and human toxicity endpoints10 including haemorrhagic pulmonary oedema, respiratory infection and severe inflammation
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What to look for: Indica-leaning strains with higher myrcene content, linalool (the primary terpene in lavender, with documented sedative properties), and bisabolol (calming, anti-anxiety, found in chamomile)
The merger will put profits from eight out of a 10 cigarettes sold in the US into the pockets of two companies, Marlboro-maker Altria and BAT
