http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/category/bidis.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14672288 http://tobacco.org/news/265279.html An estimated 100 million people - mostly the poor and illiterate - smoke beedi in India and 200,000 tuberculosis deaths are due to these hand-rolled cigarettes, a health ministry report released on Monday said. The report, for the year 2004-05 and termed as the first analytical, scientific and systematic study on the trend, said beedi smoking was more harmful than cigarette smoking. "In India, beedi smoking contributes substantially to death from tuberculosis," said Health Secretary Naresh Dayal. Dayal released the beedi monograph that lists the prevalence of beedi smoking in the country, its consequences - both economic and healthwise - and public health policy strategies. He said there are more beedi smokers than users of any other kind of tobacco products. "Beedi is the most widely used form of tobacco. There are 240 million tobacco users of which 100 million smoke beedi," he said. Sify.com India Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.indianexpress.com/story/308750.html http://tobacco.org/news/265263.html Over 100 million people in India smoke bidi and more people die due to smoking bidis than all other forms of tobacco combined, says a bidi monograph, the first study of the kind conducted anywhere in the world. It further says that 800 million bidis are sold in the country each year. While 19 per cent of tobacco consumption in India is in the form of cigarettes, 53 per cent is smoked as bidis. Roughly about eight bidis are sold for every cigarette, underlines Bidi Smoking and Public Health, released by Union Ministry of Health and Family welfare on Monday. "Tobacco is harmful in all its forms. Anti-tobacco advocacy is a major task of this ministry," said Naresh Dayal, Secretary, Health Ministry, while releasing the monograph. Dayal added that Food and Agricultural Organisation estimated that 29 lakh persons grow tobacco for bidis in the country. Indian Express India Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=2&theme=&usrsess=1&id=203777 http://tobacco.org/news/265239.html the Union ministry of health and family welfare (MOHFW) manages to hit the bull’s eye. Carrying on with its “No tobacco, No Alcohol” agenda with the avowed objective to free society from the shackles of these age-old addictions, the ministry has now gone one step further by coming out with a monograph that seeks to bring all the ill effects of bidi smoking into sharp focus. An estimated 100 million people ~ mostly the poor and the illiterate ~ smoke bidi in India and 200,000 tuberculosis deaths are due to these hand-rolled cigarettes, a health ministry report says. The monograph has data, culled from various sources for 2000-2004, to prove that bidi smoking is more harmful than cigarette smoking, the health secretary Mr Naresh Dayal notes. The Statesman India Wed, 14 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=31530 http://tobacco.org/news/262958.html Tobacco cultivation in seven southwestern districts which got a big boost several years ago is declining due to awareness about its harmful effect on soil and health following protests and campaign and also because of farmers' need to grow more food. Farmers now say its cultivation decreases fertility and deposits harmful ingredients in soil. According to sources in the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and officials of now defunct Tobacco Development Board (TDB), tobacco cultivation declined to 14000 hectares in the areas in the current season from last year's 17000 hectares. .. . The seven districts known for tobacco cultivation are Kushtia, Meherpur, Jhenidah, Chuadanga, Magura, Jessore and Rajbari. Tobacco cultivation increased in the country mainly at the behwest of cigarette and Bidi companies. Its main buyers were 17 companies including multinational British American Tobacco (BAT. . . . According to sources, Bidi and cigarette companies have been using various 'unhealthy' techniques to lure farmers into tobacco farming for long. They provide interest-free loans, seeds, fertilisers, technical support and buy back facilities to farmers. These companies have a large number of field workers to do the job. They lure farmers into tobacco cultivation, and get 'tips' from companies for 'good performance'. Dhaka Daily Star Bangladesh Thu, 10 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=22&theme=&usrsess=1&id=190870 http://tobacco.org/news/259749.html School-going children in West Bengal are more prone to get addicted to tobacco products. Thanks to the lack of awareness among people in these parts about the dangers of tobacco use. This was revealed by a voluntary organisation, West Bengal Voluntary Health Association (WBVHA) this afternoon who have been engaged by the Union health ministry to spread awareness about the ill-effects of tobacco. Mr Tarun Kumar Maity, project manager (Tobacco Control Programme) of WBVHA and a member of Advocacy Forum for Tobacco Control said: “When we visited a few schools in the districts of West Bengal, we discovered a large number of children are addicted to tobacco products and bidi was widely used. We even found school student bunking classes and smoking bidis at a hideout close to the school.” The Statesman India Wed, 13 Feb 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/14/stories/2008021455551300.htm http://tobacco.org/news/259706.html India is in the grip of a smoking epidemic likely to cause nearly a million deaths a year by 2010, according to a study released on Thursday. One in five of all male deaths and one in 20 of all female deaths between the ages of 30 and 69 will be caused by smoking, said the study. It was conducted by a team of doctors and scientists from India, Canada and Britain and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. "The results… surprised us, because smokers in India start later in life and smoke fewer cigarettes or 'bidis' than those in Europe or America, but the risks are as extreme as in the West," said Prabhat Jha of the Centre for Global Health Research at the University of Toronto, the lead author. AP India Thu, 14 Feb 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=469596a7-ace7-4c37-ab85-ec1a14ae647d&MatchID1=4604&TeamID1=6&TeamID2=7&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1157&MatchID2=4575&TeamID3=8&TeamID4=2&MatchType2=1&SeriesID2=1147&PrimaryID=4604&Headline=The%20right%20to%20frighten http://tobacco.org/news/256433.html When you think of the number of times I’ve criticised Anbumani Ramadoss — and usually pretty severely — for seeking to ban smoking or prohibit smoking in films, you might wonder why today I’m writing to support his proposal to force cigarette and bidi manufacturers to carry warning pictures and symbols on their packets. Am I being contradictory? Not at all. . . . When Britain and Ireland banned smoking in public places, it wasn’t an easy decision to take — and I, for one, did not approve — but few doubted that from a national health perspective it made sense. It wasn’t a ban on smoking but a huge extension of the areas where you cannot smoke. After initial grumbling, the British and the Irish accepted. Like bitter medicine, they knew it’s for their good. Do our politicians have the strength to act similarly? Hindustan Times India Sun, 09 Dec 2007 05:00:00 GMT http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VC9-4P61NCJ-5&_user=10&_coverDate=01%2F31%2F2008&_rdoc=7&_fmt=summary&_orig=browse&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%235949%232008%23999669998%23673354%23FLA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=5949&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_ct=25&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=75bee4fbbbff1d0847446de1db796c8d http://tobacco.org/news/255411.html Recent evidence suggests that the popularity of certain alternative forms of tobacco may be increasing in adolescents. Little is known, however, about the use of these products among young adults. This study examined the use of alternative tobacco products including bidis, cigars, kreteks (clove cigarettes), pipes, and smokeless tobacco in a large sample of young adult military recruits (N = 31 107). Overall, 18.5% of participants were using some form of alternative tobacco product prior to entry into Basic Military Training. Results revealed a relatively high prevalence of cigar (12.3%) and smokeless tobacco use (6.7%). Use of other products was less common, including 1.1% for pipes, 2.0% for bidis, and 3.0% for kreteks. With the exception of kreteks, which did not differ by gender, the prevalence of use of alternative tobacco products was greater for males than for females (p < .001). Patterns of use also differed according to other demographic characteristics including race, ethnicity, age, and income. Implications for surveillance and tobacco control efforts are discussed. Science Direct mark.vanderweg@va.gov Fri, 16 Nov 2007 05:00:00 GMT http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/index.jsp?epi-content=NEWS_VIEW_POPUP_TYPE&newsId=20070816005388&ndmHsc=v2*A1184670000000*B1187306829000*DgroupByDate*J2*L1*N1000837*Ztobacco&newsLang=en&beanID=202776713&viewID=news_view_popup http://tobacco.org/news/251189.html Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c65915) has announced the addition of "Tobacco Product Manufacturing Industry In The U.S. And Its Foreign Trade (1996-2008)" to their offering. This industry report focuses upon the Other Tobacco Product Manufacturing industry. This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing tobacco products (except cigarettes). Business Wire press@researchandmarkets.com Thu, 16 Aug 2007 04:00:00 GMT http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/IB_against_skull__bones_on_tobacco_packets/articleshow/2196103.cms http://tobacco.org/news/249696.html The I&B ministry appears unwilling to display the controversial 'skull and crossbones' pictoral warning on tobacco products and has sought four weeks' time to develop alternative designs. The issue, discussed by the Group of Ministers (GoM) on Wednesday, remained inconclusive. I&B minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi made a presentation to the ministers suggesting that an alternative warning design be created. "The ministry is of the view that some other designs could be prepared by the Department of Audio-Visual Publicity (DAVP) and put before the GoM for their consideration within four weeks," Dasmunsi said. . . . the issue remains a nettled one as bidi workers and those working in tobacco related trades constitute a powerful vote bank, one that political leaders are loath to upset. The GoM is likely to meet again to resolve the issue. The Times of India India Thu, 12 Jul 2007 04:00:00 GMT http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WPG-4N43RJM-1&_user=10&_coverDate=06%2F30%2F2007&_rdoc=3&_fmt=summary&_orig=browse&_srch=UOI(B6WPG4N2D2P73%20OR%20B6WPG4N43RJM3%20OR%20B6WPG4N43RJM1)&_orig_alid=0&_cdi=6990&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_subId=791627&_ct=3&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=6c0eaa8abb2589677cc7ce449444d529 http://tobacco.org/news/248667.html Conclusion. In India around 32% of tuberculosis deaths can be attributable to bidi smoking. Thus, bidi smoking seems to be an important cause of manifestation and death from tuberculosis. Science Direct pednekarmangesh@rediffmail.com (Preventive Medicine ) India Fri, 01 Jun 2007 04:00:00 GMT http://www.hindu.com/2007/05/24/stories/2007052401451400.htm http://tobacco.org/news/247322.html i-tobacco activists, health experts and youth representatives have appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to implement from June 1 the notification making mandatory the depiction of pictorial warning labels on tobacco products. In a memorandum submitted to Dr. Singh, the activists -- under the banner of the Advocacy Forum for Tobacco Control -- said that they were distressed that the Government was reconsidering the law and a group of Ministers had been asked to discuss the issue before the notification was implemented. A huge misinformation campaign is now being launched by a section of the tobacco industry to undermine this measure by using media channels and lobby groups. The Hindu Online India Thu, 24 May 2007 04:00:00 GMT http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=3a115c5b-7d2c-44d2-a44f-78ba7d81bcb8&ParentID=69f7c4a4-d629-4c0d-8f5b-cd4ece0a8b71&&Headline=Cigarette%20packs%20to%20carry%20skull%20and%20crossbones http://tobacco.org/news/247274.html Starting June 1, all cigarette, bidi and gutkha packets will carry prominent pictorial health warnings. The move isn't coming a day too soon - official statistics show every second man and every seventh woman in India is a tobacco-user. "In our country, 46.5 per cent men and 13.8 per cent women use tobacco, which causes 40 per cent of all cancers," Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss told HT. "To encourage people to quit tobacco, all cigarette, bidi and gutkha packs will carry pictorial health warnings from June 1. We need graphic warnings,because many tobacco users are illiterate and cannot read the health warning," Ramadoss said. Hindustan Times sanchitasharma@hindustantimes.com (Sanchita Sharma) India Fri, 25 May 2007 04:00:00 GMT http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=182764&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=30062 http://tobacco.org/news/247188.html SMOKING-related deaths are expected to double to 10 million a year worldwide by 2020, an expert has warned. "At the moment, nearly five million people die each year due to the scourge," said pharmaceutical company Pfizer Middle East region external affairs and policy director Dr Ahmed El Hakim. "In the Middle East region, it is not only the cigarette which is causing a lot of problems, it is also the increasing use of the sheesha (hubble bubble) and the bidi (tobacco rolled in dried tree leaf), which are increasingly becoming a problem to deal with." . . . This is why one of the major areas of focus of a campaign marking World No Tobacco Day in the Middle East this year is sheesha smoking. Gulf Daily News Mid-east Tue, 22 May 2007 04:00:00 GMT http://in.news.yahoo.com/070512/139/6fova.html http://tobacco.org/news/246793.html Scores of workers involved in the making of beedi, a cheap cigarette substitute, are on an indefinite strike against government directives to print warning symbols on beedi packets. Poor and impoverished workers, most of whom are women, say the ban on smoking in public places has already crippled the tobacco industry and following the directives would add to their woes. "The Central Government's direction will cost us heavy. No one will come to buy the beedis. This is my only profession. I will be completely ruined if I have to leave this. We as it is earn a meager amount. So, the government should pay heed to our demands and withdraw the order," said Meeral, a worker. Yahoo! India News India Sun, 13 May 2007 04:00:00 GMT