PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief General Nicolas Torre III warned on Thursday, August 14, 2025, against Thuoc Lao cigarettes, locally known as “Tuklaw,” and their effects, which could lead to death just like any other illegal drugs.
In an interview, Torre said Tuklaw cigarettes are now part of the PNP’s intensified operations against illegal drugs.
He said the Police Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) is coordinating with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) to find out more about the illegal substance present in Tuklaw cigarettes.
“Well, inaalam natin ang origin ano, pero just like the other drugs currently in the market today na ating hinahabol at ating pinipigilan, may mga illicit trading routes na tinitingnan natin na maaaring pinagdadaanan ng mga substance na ito,” Torre said.
(Well, we are finding out the origin, but just like the other drugs currently in the market that we are pursuing and trying to stop, there are illicit trading routes we are looking into that these substances may be passing through.)
“Walang mabuting idudulot sa inyo ‘yan at itong bottom line diyan, wala pa akong nakitang adik na maganda at guwapo. Lahat ng adik pangit. Hindi ba, tingnan niyo ang before and after. Artista, napakaganda, na-adik, tingnan mo ang itsura, di ba? Diretsong usapan, real talk. Wala pang adik or substance user na guwapo at maganda. Lahat pangit,” he added.
(That won’t do you any good, and the bottom line is, I haven’t seen a single addict who is beautiful or handsome. All addicts are ugly. Right? Just look at the before and after. An actress, very beautiful, gets addicted—look at how she looks now, right? Straight talk, real talk. There’s never been an addict or substance user who is handsome or beautiful. All are ugly.)
The PDEA and the DDB earlier said Tuklaw contains nicotine and synthetic cannabinoid, which could lead to psychotic episodes and hallucinations, mimicking the effects of marijuana but more potent and dangerous.
In several viral videos, individuals who smoked Tuklaw, particularly in the Bangsamoro region, Palawan, and Taguig City, manifested seizure-like symptoms characterized by brief, shock-like body jerks and twitches.
In Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, five individuals, all students aged between 19 and 25, were arrested during a buy-bust operation on August 11 over alleged involvement in the proliferation of Tuklaw.
Seized from the arrested suspects were suspected marijuana leaves and suspected synthetic cannabinoid.
They were charged with violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
After performing confirmatory tests using Gas Chromatograph–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) on the Tuklaw cigarettes seized during this operation, the presence of synthetic cannabinoid was confirmed.
The PDEA Laboratory Service sought the assistance of international and domestic forensic laboratories to establish a definitive result.
PDEA said Thuoc Lao is a tobacco plant grown in the mountains of Northern Vietnam. Locally, it can either be smoked or chewed as part of rituals, but the traditional way of smoking the tobacco is using a pipe called a bamboo bong.
The nicotine content of Thuoc Lao can reach as high as nine percent compared to ordinary cigarettes, which have an average of only one to three percent. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)