NEW DELHI: Women bidi workers, who constitute the majority of the workforce in India, suffer from decreased fertility, increased frequency of miscarriages and higher risk of cervical cancer, according to the latest study.
Not only that, their children are at higher risk of suffering from low birth weight and stunted growth, the study, published in BMJ Global Health, said.
The study, conducted by The George Institute for Global Health, has said that bidi workers and their families are exposed to harmful substances during bidi rolling, which jeopardises their health.
Bidi, an indigenous smoking tobacco product made of tobacco flakes rolled in tendu leaves and tied with a thread, is the most smoked product with 85% market share.
Most of the bidi rolling work is done by women from homes, which continuously exposes them to nicotine, tar, unburnt tobacco dust, and other toxic particles that pass through the cutaneous (skin) and pharyngeal (throat) route.
The study found that while the pregnant bidi workers were at an increased risk of anaemia and pregnancy-induced hypertension, there was a higher frequency of neonatal deaths, stillbirths and premature births in comparison with non-bidi workers.
The study said they have found evidence that across 14 Indian states, health hazards in bidi workers and their families show a very high prevalence of respiratory (up to 52.5%), musculoskeletal (up to 87%), gastrointestinal (up to 70%), neurological (up to 60%), skin (up to 37%) and other conditions across the organ system.
The bidi industry is estimated to employ about 4.9 million people. It supports nearly 2.2 million people from the tribal Indian communities who are plucking and selling tendu leaves, predominantly in the unorganised sector.
“Due to this unorganised nature of bidi work, there is lack of awareness on using safety measures such as wearing protective gears like masks and gloves, and washing hands, which leads to prolonged exposure to tobacco dust in bidi workers,” the study said.
“Our review shows that bidi rolling leads to numerous occupational health hazards in bidi workers and their family members. It is essential to provide alternative livelihoods, and safe and protective working environment, and cover bidi workers under various social security provisions to alleviate the harmful effect of bidi making at home,” it said.
It is also important to shift bidi-making away from home and strengthen existing regulations and promulgation of new provisions, including India’s Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions Code 2020.
Tobacco kills more than 8 million people globally and leads to 229.77 million disability-adjusted life years lost annually. Out of these, India accounts for 1.35 million deaths. Unlike other countries, cigarette is not the most common tobacco product consumed in India.
Quoting another study, the authors said, “India reported the relative risk for all-cause mortality among bidi smokers was 64% higher as compared with never users of tobacco.
With 99.31% of bidi workers working from home and not covered under important regulations in India for their welfare, their physical environment, such as creche facilities and shelter to rest, is found to be poor, the study highlighted.
Bidi workers are known to be underpaid, with their wages not increasing substantially even though profits of the bidi industry have increased.
The authors quoted the report of the Committee on Subordinate Legislation (16th Lok Sabha), which noted that “bidi workers are the most exploited among all rural labour, and women workers are most affected. They are paid much below the National Minimum Wage Norms and cannot meet their basic needs.”