Bidis kill 6 lakh Indians every year, says study …….Kounteya Sinha | TNN
New Delhi: Bidithe poor mans smokeis killing 6 lakh people annually in India. With nearly 85% of the worlds bidi tobacco grown in India and 70% of tobacco smoked in the country being in the form of bidis, it has been found that more Indians are dying of bidi smoking than from all other forms of tobacco combined.
According to the countrys first bidi monograph, for every cigarette, eight bidis are sold in India. Whats worse, nearly 2.3% children, aged 13-15 years, have taken to it.
Compared to less than 100 billion cigarettes, India produces about 700 billion bidis annually, almost all of them consumed locally. While India has 2.9 lakh bidi growers and 44 lakh bidi workers, 50% of them ultimately die of tuberculosis or asthma.
Shockingly, women constitute 76% of the total employment in bidi manufacture who earn between Rs 29-Rs 64 per 10,000 bidis rolled. Its estimated 10% of female bidi workers and 5% of male bidi workers are children under 14 who work 14 hours a day, seven days a week without a break.
The monograph, Bidi and Public Health, authored by Dr P C Gupta from Healis Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health and Dr Samira Asma from Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta), in partnership with the health ministry, WHO and US Department of Health and Human Services, says India is home to 100 million bidi smokers.
Dr Gupta said, At present, 8 lakh people die from tobacco consumption in India, of which 6 lakh is due to bidis. He added bidi smoke contains high levels of proven class A carcinogens like nitrosamines and toxins like carbon monoxide, ammonia, phenol and hydrogen cyanide. Bidi may contain lesser tobacco than cigarettes0.2 grams, but delivers as much or more tar and nicotine. Bidi workers with TB are three times more prone to die.
85% of the worlds bidi tobacco is grown in India
85% of the worlds bidi tobacco is grown in India
70% of the tobacco smoked in India is in the form of bidisfor every cigarette, eight bidis are sold