'Bidi usually known as the poor man's smoke is killing as many as 6, 00,000 people annually, that is three times more than other tobacco substance in India', says a study.
According to a recent study conducted by Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry along with World Health Organisation, Healis-Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and US Department of Health and Human Services, “Bidi smoke contains high levels of tobacco specific nitrosamines (NNN & NNK), two most potent cancer causing agents.”
“Unlike cigarettes, it has less porous and less flammable membrane in the form of wrapper made of tendu leaves that lead to higher intake of carbon monoxide, nicotine and tar during bidi smoking”, said study.
Despite of less tobacco contains than cigarettes, Bidi smoke contains higher levels of carbon monoxide, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, phenol, volatile phenols, benz(a)anthracine and benzo(a)pyrene. The more puffing of bidi as it is used to get the sufficient amount of fume leads to greater inhalation to tar, nicotine and other poisonous substance in the lungs that lead to lungs cancer, oral cancer, heart diseases, other lung disorders, asthma, tuberculosis and addiction.
Out of total 8,00,000 deaths due to smoking, 6,00,000 are killed annually only from bidi smoking habit while a total of 70% tobacco consumption holds only from bidi. Another big example is that India produces 800-billion bidies as against 100-billion cigarettes annually and most the bidi consumes by local people especially lower, very lower and lower-middle class society of India.
The study also reveals the unfortunate facts regarding the increasing habit of bidi smoking in small children. “About 2 per cent of children in the 13-15 age groups were found to be smoking bidis,” reveals study.
The study also indicates the poor economic condition of bidi workers who are nearby 2.9 lakhs in numbers in which 76% are women, who earns between Rs 29 and Rs 64 per 10,000 bidis rolled, a far less labour rate than the government directed daily labour rate.
The study also predicted that among all bidi workers, 15% of labours are under 14, comprising 10% of female and 5% of male, who works continuously 14 hours a day and seven days a week without a break.
‘India produces 85% of the total tobacco of the world in which 70 percent are consumes in bidi. Annually, 150,000 tonnes of tobacco and 300,000 tonnes of tendu leaves are used to manufacture bidis that occupies a 35% of total tobacco cultivation area allowed for tobacco cultivation,’ as per cited health secretary Naresh Dayal.
‘West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are the major epicenters of bidi rolling in India while Gujarat and Maharashtra are the major suppliers of bidi tobacco leaves,’ added Dayal.
The study was sponsored by the Union Health Ministry while Dr. Prakash C Gupta and Samira Asma were the head of this study.
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