RAIPUR: An extensive study carried out by AIIMS-Jodhpur on the health and economic burdens due to bidi smoking in Chhattisgarh has estimated 11,011 deaths in the year 2023, with prevalent bidi smokers believed to be around 4.1% of the state’s population.
The study also covered various states with Uttar Pradesh reporting the maximum figure on deaths with over one lakh per annum followed by Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu with over 50,000 and 42,000 respectively dying due to bidi smoking. According to the study, the total deaths attributable to bidi smoking in India is said to be over 5.55 lakhs with 7.7% of the country’s population being tobacco users.
There are a good number of studies, reports, and analysis on cigarette use and its harmful effects, but very few conducted in other tobacco forms, as per the observations made by the ministry of health and World Health Organisation.
A meta-analysis was also conducted during the course of survey to account for the data from all published studies concerning disease occurrence, such like lung cancer (0.39%), tuberculosis (0.20%), oral cancer (0.32%), and ischemic heart disease (0.17%) due to bidi consumption in the state.
As per one observation there were higher risks seen with bidi smoking compared to cigarettes.
A state-level workshop was recently organised in Raipur to energise the tobacco control system which the officials from the health, excise, labour and transport department attended.
The state nodal officer of tobacco control programme Dr Kamlesh Jain focussing on the need for enhanced awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco had expressed concern over the people addicted to tobacco despite the specified health warning on tobacco products packs. In addition to health, the AIIMS survey also made extensive observations on the corresponding economic implications and burdens owing to bidi consumption.
