Bidis and smokeless tobacco

Bidis and smokeless tobacco are the cheapest, least taxed and most commonly used tobacco products in India. They are highly addictive and high in carcinogens. They cause a broad spectrum of diseases; yet awareness about their ill-effects is low. Smokeless tobacco products containing arecanut, e. g. gutka and mawa, are especially addictive and carcinogenic. The high incidences of oral and lung cancers in India are mainly due to bidis and smokeless tobacco. Bidis bear no health warnings, and smokeless products, only warnings in English in small print. The public favours tobacco control policies and the Government tries to impose them, but the industry delays such implementation. This article highlights the widespread use of bidis and smokeless tobacco in India, reviews their harmful effects, documents public support for tobacco control policies, and provides scientific evidence for the implementation of these policies.