Bidis (pronounced bee-dee, and also known as beedis) are small hand-rolled cigarettes made from tobacco. This use tendu or temburni leaf (a plant native to Asia). They are manufactured in India. There are more other Southeast Asian countries who manufactured it. These are exported to more than 100 countries.
In India, beedi cigarettes are cheaper and more consumed than traditional cigarettes. It is a common misconception that because cigarettes are less expensive, they are also less harmful. This is a dangerous misconception.
Cigarettes with training wheels
Referred to by health officials as cigarettes with training wheels, the overall appearance and taste of this product are particularly appealing to young people like clove cigarettes.
Usually tied at one or both ends with bits of colored string. The beedi is produced in a variety of flavors; which will appeal to children; including chocolate, mango, vanilla, lemon-lime, peppermint, pineapple and cherry.
Beedi cigarettes gained popularity in the United States in the mid-1990s, and by 1999, the state's Attorney General asked Congress and federal officials to take action against Beedi to stop the import of this toxic product geared toward children. called upon. Young American smokers were attracted to bidis; because they were easier to obtain than traditional cigarettes. Provided a "rush" of nicotine, were small and fragrant and looked like marijuana joints.
Must Read Smoking and its risk factors
From Attorney General Tom Miller:
"Beedi are more harmful to health than traditional cigarettes. These are scented to make attractive to children. This is a deadly combination."
Beedi consumption dropped significantly in February of 2014; when the US Food and Drug Administration ordered the removal of four brands of beedi cigarettes from the market. Because manufacturers were not able (or unwilling) to provide documentation that proves that the product does not raise various health concerns for general public. Brands are:
First : Sutra BidisSecond: Sutra Bidis RedThird : Sutra Bidis MentholFourth: Sutra Bidis Red Cone
This bidi ban was the first tobacco ban as a result of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act which gives the FDA authority to regulate tobacco products.
Beedi can still be purchased online; but its popularity has declined in states since the ban.
Are bidi cigarettes less or more harmful than regular cigarettes?
In some cases, the US Beedi are more harmful than regular commercial cigarettes produced in India.
Beedi cigarettes contain three to five times the amount of nicotine as traditional cigarettes.Beedi cigarettes contain more tar and carbon monoxide than regular cigarettes.
As they do not have chemicals to help combustion, smokers should pull on a bidi cigarette with more force to prevent it from going out. This resulted in a higher amount of toxins inhaled than traditional cigarettes. Smokers inhale a single bidi cigarette approximately 28 times as opposed to 9 puffs on a regular bidi.
Health risks of bidi smoking
People who drink bidi increase the risk of oral cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer and esophageal cancer.The risk of heart disease and heart attack is three times higher than that of beedi smokers.Beedi smoking is associated to emphysema. It increases the risk of chronic bronchitis.
Beedi cigarette is dangerous to human health and should not be an alternative to safe smoking. In countries where bidi smoking is still prevalent, parents of children should teach their children quickly about the dangers of bidi cigarettes and smoking in general.
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