This tobacco cigarette hospitalizes victims on the first try

Jerwen Kiev Del Cano

With just a few smokes, every puff of the substance pushes you past the brink—trembling in paralysis as you are stripped of control over your own body.

Recently, last July in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, reports documented three men, two of whom are minors, who sought immediate medical attention after experiencing sudden convulsions, vomiting, and seizures, as bystanders witnessed them along the sidewalk. 

Its cause stemmed from an unfamiliar type of cigarette that was introduced to them. Sleeved in black and labeled to deliver such a potent effect, this cigarette is commonly known and referred to by its local name as “tuklaw.”

What to know about “tuklaw”

Tuklaw is similar to how it is being called in Vietnam, “thuốc lào.” It is a type of tobacco used medicinally in various cultures for wounds, infections, and respiratory and digestive disorders. 

It has a scientific name of Nicotiana rustica and is known as Aztec or Indian tobacco. This variety is native to the Americas and can be found in the neighboring Asian countries of Vietnam, India, and Bangladesh.

Yet despite its bioactive compounds and medicinal properties, it has been recorded that tuklaw exhibits a flaunting nicotine content higher than other types of tobacco species at 4–9%. 

Nicotine, a stimulant and a depressant found in tobacco cigarettes, sends off several chemicals to the brain that eventually stimulate hormones for relaxation and satisfaction.

While pleasure is manifested, its unfavorable side leads to detrimental effects on heavy consumers in the form of convulsions, nausea, and vomiting. This further exemplifies how smoking the substance induces a more acrid and toxic punch.

Too much is potentially menacing

Initially started from an enticement, one light of the substance at the victims’ first attempt caught them off guard, leading straight to the hospital a few smokes after.

From the words of Lillian Rodriguez, a botanist, the consumption of tuklaw in comparison to a normal cigarette is 20 times more concentrated in its nicotine content.

With its stronger kick of chemicals than a normal cigar, N. rustica is considered to be highly detrimental, especially for persons who have done and taken it for the first time.

First-time users may be more vulnerable to seizures—a possible side effect of nicotine toxicity, due to the brain’s neurons becoming overly excited, which can influence one’s movement, consciousness, and behavior.

Hence, if left uninvestigated, understudied, and undisclosed, what might be taken as a casual puff can undoubtedly escalate into a health emergency crisis. 

In the shadows of the smoke, tuklaw still circulates among those inquisitive, either via word-of-mouth curiosity or simply the thrill of trying something “stronger.” But unlike most cigarettes, it doesn’t leave room for second chances. 

This is a reminder that not all smoke drifts away quietly. Some, like a single stick of N. rustica, bite back. Thus, while it still lingers, it is vital to be vigilant to claw your way out before succumbing to the impending inducements.