A study done by the Union health and family welfare ministry along with partner agencies shows that bidis contain class A carcinogens, toxins and poisonous substances responsible for lungs cancer, oral cancer, heart diseases, other lung disorders and addiction and even tuberculosis.
Bidis are small hand-rolled leaf-wrapped tobacco products and bidi smoking is common in South Asia. Though bidis contain much less tobacco than cigarettes , it delivers far more nicotine and other toxic substances, the study said.
The World Health Organisation, Healis-Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and US Department of Health and Human Services are the partner organization along with the Union health ministry who sponsored the study done under the leadership of Prakash C Gupta and Samira Asma.
According to the study entitled ? Bidi Smoking and Public Health – bidi smoke contains high levels of tobacco specific nitrosamines (NNN & NNK) ? two most potent cancer causing agents. Compared to unfiltered cigarette, bidi smoke contains higher levels of carbon monoxide, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, phenol, volatile phenols, benz(a)anthracine and benzo(a)pyrene.
There are about 2,90,000 growers of bidi tobacco and more than 4.4 million bidi workers in India. A ban or restriction on bidi sector, therefore, may cause some employment problem, unless alternative works are suggested for bidi tobacco growers and workers. Faced with such a situation the Union health secretary, Naresh Dayal said, ?To impose a ban or any restriction on the bidi sector is not under the mandate of the health ministry. Our job is to generate awareness. We can suggest a logo on bidis signifying the dangers of its consumption. Now the matter is subjudiced and we can think of it only after the court order.?
