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Bidi Use Among
Urban
Youth — Massachusetts,
March-April, 1999
MMWR Highlights
September 17, 1999 / Vol. 48 / No. 36
- Bidis (also known as beedis or beedies)
are small brown cigarettes, often flavored, consisting of tobacco hand-rolled in tendu or
temburni leaf and secured with a string at one end. They are primarily produced in India
and in some Southeast Asian countries, and are imported into the United States. Research
shows that bidis are a significant health hazard to users.
- Bidis are not a safe alternative to
cigarettes. One study found that one bidi produces more than three times the amount of
carbon monoxide and nicotine and more than five times the amount of tar than one
cigarette, when tested on a standard smoking machine. The Federal Trade Commission
requires that packs of bidis display the Surgeon General’s rotating health warning
labels.
- Bidi smokers have an increased risk of
coronary heart disease and cancers of the mouth, pharynx and larynx, lung, esophagus,
stomach, and liver. Bidi use during pregnancy can cause perinatal mortality.
- There are currently no national statistics
on the prevalence of bidi use in the United States. However, there are anecdotal reports
that show that bidi use is gaining popularity in the United States, particularly among
young people.
- A Massachusetts study that surveyed 642
Massachusetts’ urban youth found that 40 percent reported smoking bidis in their
lifetime, 16 percent reported smoking bidis at least once in the past 30 days, and 8
percent smoked 100 or more bidis in their lifetime. Current past-month bidis use by
race/ethnicity was 21 percent for Hispanic students compared to 14 percent for African
American and 11 percent for white students.
- The study also found that nearly one of
five male students (19 percent) and one of 10 female students (12 percent) reported using
bidis at least once in the past month.
- When asked why they used bidis instead of
cigarettes, responses included the following: 23 percent smoked bidis because of
"taste," 18 percent reported that bidis are "cheaper," 13 percent of
students felt that bidis are "safer" than cigarettes, and 12 percent felt that
they are "easier to buy" compared to cigarettes.
- Additional research is needed to assess
other factors affecting the use of novel tobacco products such as bidis, including how
restrictions on access and advertising are being enforced, how pricing affects use of
these products, how to apply federal and state excise taxes, and enforcing
appropriate labeling of these products with the Surgeon General’s health warning. The
public should be alerted to the high toxicity of bidi products to dispel the notion that
bidis are safer to smoke than cigarettes.
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