NEW DELHI: India is the second largest consumer of tobacco products with 267 million adults using smoking or smokeless forms of tobacco leading to over 1.35 million deaths per year[1].

Bidi is the most common smoking product in the country consumed by 72 million adults¹. The bidi industry is estimated to employ about 4.9 million people[2] predominantly in the unorganized sector.

WHO Country Office for India undertook a rapid evidence synthesis of existing studies in the country related to environmental risks and health hazards amongst bidi workers, their families and communities to guide policy action and frame necessary
interventions for their welfare.

“All the 95 studies analyzed consistently reported a high prevalence of disease conditions or related symptoms, across all organ systems of the body indicating the need to recognize bidi rolling as a hazardous process,” said Dr Roderico
H. Ofrin, WHO Representative to India.

“About 90% bidi rollers in India are women and there is a need to tailor specific health interventions to address health issues faced by them and integrate these with existing public health programmes. In addition, safe working conditions
and alternative sources of livelihood are also needed,” Dr Ofrin further added.

The exposure to tobacco, nicotine, dust and other particles absorbed through skin and nasopharyngeal route, endangers the health of bidi workers as well as their families. According to research undertaken by the Factory Advisory Services and
Labor Institute in Bombay, a unit of the Labor Ministry of India, the incidence of tuberculosis and bronchial asthma is higher amongst bidi workers, compared to the general population. A Ministry of Health & Family Welfare report also
recognizes bidi rolling as an occupational health hazard[3].

The prevalence of adult tobacco use reduced by 17% between 2009-2010 and 2016-2017 in India according as per to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS 2) India 2016-2017. This decline stands testimony to the positive impact of strong policy initiatives.
Implementing the recommendations of this study will further strengthen India’s commitment towards Articles 17 and 18 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.