While students are more inclined towards cigarette smoking, bidi smoking is no less with 12.5 per cent students in India smoking bidis. In Orissa, 19.7 per cent of men and 1.4 per cent of women smoke bidi on a daily basis.

“Bidi contains much less tobacco than cigarette, has more tar, nicotine and other toxic substances. It contains most potent cancer causing agents,” said Prakash Gupta, one of the authors of the monograph.

Regarding diseases caused due to bidi smoking, the report says in India the major effect of tobacco is seen in oral cavity, pharynx and oesophagus, which together account for 75 per cent of tobacco-related cancers.

According to the report, bidi and tuberculosis go hand in hand. Compared to unfiltered cigarette, bidi smoke contains higher levels of carbon monoxide, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, phenol volatile phenols.

FACTFILE

•85 per cent of the world's tobacco for bidi is grown in India

•Bidi crop cultivation occupies 35 per cent of the total area under tobacco cultivation, mostly in Gujarat, Karnataka and Maharashtra

•1,50,000 tonnes of tobacco and 30,00 tonnes of tendu leaves are used to make bidis.

•Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are leading suppliers of tendu leaves