Udupi: Did you know that about 19% of tobacco consumption in India is in the form of cigarettes, while 53% is in the form of its poor cousin, beedis?
Beedis are an extremely cheap alternative to cigarettes, but the health hazards of both are comparable. In fact, beedis are an equally dangerous tobacco product with huge impact on public health.In a press conference organized on Friday, health officials and experts broke some of the myths about beedi consumption and elaborated on the measures needed to be taken to serve the larger interest of public health.
Dr. Vijaya Hegde, Professor and Head, Dept of Public health dentistry and also President of TII centre, A.J. Institute of Dental sciences who led the initiative said, tar levels delivered by beedis are high, at 45-50 mg/ beedi. “One study found that beedis produced approximately three times the amount of carbon monoxide and nicotine and approximately five times the amount of tar as cigarettes,” she added.
Beedis are harmful not only to the users but also the laborers. Reports from as early as the 1970s highlighted the concerns of trade union leaders in Maharashtra that 50% of beedi workers eventually died from tuberculosis or asthma.”
The District Health Officer, Dr. Surendra Chinbalkar, who was present on the occasion, said that in Karnataka, of the 11.9% adults who smoke about 8.3% smoke beedis. “Beedi puffing is harder on the lungs because of the relatively low combustibility and non-porous nature of the tendu leaves requiring more frequent and deeper puffs by the smoker to keep beedis lit,” he added.
Elaborating on the menace, Dr. Shubhan Alva, President elect-Indian Dental Association, Karnataka State branch and also Vice President of TII centre, A.J. Institute of Dental sciences, said, “Those elders consuming beedis should think about the younger generation and the problem they could land in because of the beedi consumption. Poor man’s cigarette (beedis) is the most expensive burden on the masses,” he said.
Dr. John Kennedy, Advocacy Officer, Institute of Public health, added, “The expenditure on smoking related diseases in Karnataka for the year 2011 was about 702.5 crore compared to 280.4 crores on smokeless tobacco related diseases. This is a huge burden on the government as well as on the individuals affected with these diseases.”
Experts also highlighted that the child labor was an important issue in beedi manufacturing. According to a study done by Sudarshan and Kaur, roughly ten percent of all female beedi workers and five percent of male beedi workers are under 14 years of age. In the Mangalore region of Karnataka, the beedi industry engages over 10 lakh (1,000,000) laborers, predominantly women, but 25,000 to 30,000 are children, they added.
More on beedi menace
The beedi industry is male-dominated, where the manufacturer, the contractor and the consumers are male and only the bidi rollers are female. This often makes women subject to economic exploitation.
The All India Beedi, Cigar and Tobacco Workers Federation pegs the figure of women involved in the beedi industry at 90% to 95%. Female beedi rollers also report verbal and physical abuse based on gender and caste differences.
Beedi and smokeless tobacco together account for 81% of the national tobacco consumer market, but contribute only 12% of the excise tax collected. A study conducted in Rajasthan shows that this raise in tax has reduced cigarette consumption by 8% and beedi consumption by 6.2% estimated to save 3,40,450 lives.
Karnataka is one among only six states in the entire nation that has 0% VAT on beedis. Our neighbouring states like Kerala, Maharashtra, Goa and Tamil Nadu have beedi VAT in the range of 12.5 – 22%. Even in the current year’s budget , the Karnataka Chief Minister has chosen to avoid taxing beedis.
