Contrary to common belief that they contain less tobacco and are made from leaves, bidis can be up to eight times more harmful than cigarettes. This is primarily due to the adverse effects of the leaves and deeper inhalation.
Bidis, which are produced from leaves and are thought to contain less tobacco than cigarettes, can really be up to eight times more dangerous. This is primarily due to the adverse effects of the leaves and deeper inhalation.
The fact was highlighted by experts at the 18th Pulmonary PG Update, a continuing medical education programme at KGMU held days before ‘No Smoking Day’. Because they are less expensive, bidis are favored by those with lesser means.
Former director of the Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute (VPCI), in Delhi, Prof. Rajendra Prasad, provided findings from a study that contrasted bidis with cigarettes. Both were deemed harmful, but bidis, crafted by wrapping leaves around tobacco, produce more smoke when burned.
Smokers inadvertently take deeper breaths in an attempt to maintain the burning of bidis, which exacerbates lung damage. Prof. Rajendra Prasad stressed that even though bidis have four times less tobacco than cigarettes, they would still be eight times more harmful if the same quantity of tobacco were used in them.
Renowned physicians gave important talks on the second day of the conference to improve PG students' understanding of how to read chest X-rays. The head of the North Zone TB Task Force, Dr. Surya Kant, issued a warning, noting that not every spot seen on a chest X-ray represents tuberculosis. He emphasized that while several diseases resemble tuberculosis (TB) in X-ray pictures, chest X-rays can be useful in identifying a variety of ailments.