Smoking incidence in Indonesia
This is questions is asked a lot, and quite difficult to answer, only the one who have done a study can answer it. However today I come across an article from BBC saying that the smoking incidence in Indonesia is more than 60%, the highest in the world.
No wonder Phillip Morris Indonesia bought sampoerna and BAT (British American Tobacco) bought Bentoel. a very lucrative market I see
This is incidence of smoking regularly, means does not include the one who just occasionally or rarely. There is no further explanation on what is regularly means nor when the study is conducted, but that is enough for a curious cat like me.
Strangely, I got this information from article in BBC about someone losing his teeth after a cigarette he was smoking was exploded… How weird is that?
You can read it here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8493288.stm
If it is no longer on the net, here I print it for you
History of Cigarette Kretek – Part I
No doubt, “Kretek” cigarette dominate the cigarette market in Indonesia at staggering 90% share. This kretek cigarette is a genuine Indonesian invention and Indonesian has been smoking it for more than 100 years. It will be interesting to know the history of this humble Kretek and its development trough out the year till become one of the Indonesia Icon.
Pre-Kretek History
It all started when in 1490′s Columbus discover America continent and reporting back to europe that the ingeniuos people are smoking “leave”. Cut the story short, the colonial (dutch) brought tobacco to Indonesia and plant it here, it strive and Indonesian start to smoke it too. At this time Cigarette is mostly handrolled, if there is no paper to roll the tobacco, Klobot (corn husk) will do.
The very well known legend related to cigarette is Roro Mendut , a very hot and sexy lady who live in the 17th century in Mataram Kingdom who refuse to married a very powerful man (Wiroguno), instead she chose the humble Pronocitro her sweet heart.
Wiroguno finally applied a very high tax to her (although she did not have any income) in hope that she can not pay the tax and marry him instead. Knowing that she is hot and beautiful, the defiant Roro mendut sell cigarette that been rolled and use her saliva as the glue to the highest bidder. Although she paid tax, she finally died together with her love life pronocitro just like Romeo and juliet. Read more
What so mild about “mild cigarette”
cigarette
Before, I always think that Mild Cigarette (which advertised as low tar and low nicotine cigarette) is made of special (or specially processed) tobacco to reduce the tar and nicotine content. Actually that is not the case, they made from the same tobacco (may be less but the same) as regular / full flavor cigarette.
To reduce the Tar or Nicotine, the cigarette manufacturer add some kind of vent somewhere in the filter, so when you pulls a cigarette, the vent will also draw in air from outside, so in result you draw less smoke and less tar or nicotine. This also explain that Mild cigarette is “easier / lighter to draw”.
So if you switch from regular / full flavor cigarette to mild cigarette, you probably feel that it will be too light for you and you may suck in deeper than usual. This will be more dangerous than smoking regular cigarette because the smoke (and tar and Nicotine and other things although smaller in quantity) will go deeper into your lungs.
You also get similar tar and nicotine as regular cigarette if you “close” the vent by your finger. so if you want to reduce Tar and Nicotine by switching to Mild cigarette, don’t hold cigarette too strong and and don’t draw too deep.
Cigarette
Today I was talking with a friend about Cigarette market, he seems realy keen on how Cigarette market is developing in Indonesia. So after that discussion, I think it will be good if I start compiling news and article about Cigarette in Indonesia.
Definition of Cigarrette
Cigarette (rokok) actually means “small cigar”, is a product consumed through smoking and manufactured out of cured and finely cut tobacco leaves and reconstituted tobacco, often combined with other additives,then rolled or stuffed into a paper-wrapped cylinder (generally less than 120 mm in length and 10 mm in diameter).
So in order to be called as cigarette: it has to be made from Tobacco (or reconstituted tobacco), consumed trough smoking and paper wrapped. Hence if it is wrapped with tobacco leaves, eventhough having small dimension, we call it Cigar (cerutu) not Cigarette (rokok). Read more
