Bangkok teens sneaking puffs of Indonesian clove cigarettes

Bangkok teens sneaking puffs of Indonesian clove cigarettes

Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Bangkok

Sweet-smelling clove cigarettes from Indonesia have become a
craze among Thai high school students, frustrating official
campaigns to discourage smoking, it was reported Thursday.

A Bangkok school teacher was quoted by The Nation newspaper as
saying the smuggled smokes were being sold secretly by vendors at
the city's Memorial Bridge night market under the Gudang Garam
brand.

Each package contains cigarettes in up to six flavors and
sells for 70 baht (US$1.75) per pack, about double the price of
locally-made brands.

The vendors avoid arrest by selling only to teenagers they
know and trust, according to the teacher, who asked not to be
named.

Speaking at a conference on the Framework Convention on
Tobacco Control on Wednesday, Dr. Prakit Vateesatokkij, head of
the medical college of Ramathibodi Hospital, said the
government's high-profile fight against illicit drugs had been
drawing attention away from efforts to deter cigarette smoking.

He said the widespread smuggling of cigarettes tended to
increase consumption because, unlike the clove cigarettes, they
were usually cheaper than legal ones.

In addition, the government was reluctant to raise taxes on
legal tobacco for fear this would make smuggled cigarettes even
more attractive to consumers.