[PiccoloNamek]

About two weeks ago, the local gas station that I get my Blacks from was out, but they also had Djarum Specials. I knew they had a different tobacco to clove ratio, but the clerk said they were good so I thought I would try them. They tasted OK, but I noticed that the smoke developed a weird musky funk every time the cherry approached one of the fire-retardant strips. They also went out constantly! After a few days of smoking these, I developed a hard hacking cough, caused by a strong buildup of phlegm around in vocal cords and trachea. There was a strong correlation between the time I started smoking the specials and the beginning of my coughing problems. I suspected that the cause had to be the cigarettes, so I threw them out and went to my favorite tobacco shop and bought some more Blacks. Within one day of quitting the specials, my cough was nearly gone, and within three days it had subsided completely, even though I continued to smoke the Blacks, which are also FSC. Also, I have never (and still have not) had a Black stop burning by itself, nor do they have the same strange taste.

This leads me to believe that:

1. FSC Djarum Specials should be avoided at all costs.
2. Some FSC cigarettes are different from others.
3. Not all FSC cigarettes are necessarily bad, since I have had none of the same problems with the Blacks that I had with the specials, ever, nor with the Nat Sherman Hint of Mint, which are also FSC.

[Sally]

All brands are going to affect people differently. It has to do with the blend of things. I on the other hand can not smoke any cigarette with fire-safe paper on them I must be allergic to what they use in the paper.

The More brand cigarette has gone out for years when left in a ashtray and not that I like the taste of More cigarettes but at least they do not make me sick to smoke them. I have not smoked a more since they became FSC cigarettes which I wonder how they did that when it does not have the same kind of paper. But anyway I think the whole fire-safe paper thing is a crock of dog dodo for they do not stop a fire from happening.

[barfly]

I almost WANT FDA to regulate tobacco since, at least, they test things before giving it to the general population. They are playing "Russian Roulette" on all of us with this idiot FSC chemicals business. FDA wouldn't have let this happen IMHO. If people start dying faster I guess, somebody will draw a conclusion and recall all FSCs ???

[Sally]

I have to agree with you barfly. For like you say the FDA would at least of tested it on people before letting it go out to all of us at once.

It reminds me of (what about ten years now) when the major manufactures were sued for putting all that additional chemicals into our cigarettes making many people die and all those lawsuits ended with a huge lawsuit against Philip Morris USA and many other major manufactures. You would think they learned their lesson with that one SHEESH.

But on the other hand that means if the FDA is in charge will mean higher prices, more restrictions which means the government will baby sit just like on other things. So it is a good question, DIE from smoking FSC cigarettes or let the government run things? Hmm sounds to me it would be the same answer LOL. DIE