Bidi Cigarettes. Image Courtesy of National Cancer Institute
What are bidi cigarettes, and are they a safe smoking alternative to traditional manufactured cigarettes with tobacco?
Bidis (pronounced bee-dees and also known as beedis) are small hand-rolled cigarettes made of tobacco and wrapped in tendu or temburni leaf (plants that are native to Asia -- Diospyros melanxylon). They are manufactured in India and other southeast Asian countries and exported to more than 100 countries.
In India, bidi cigarettes are cheaper and more heavily consumed than traditional commercial cigarettes. It is a common misconception that because they're less expensive, they're also less harmful. Not so. Read more >>