Tobacco free India: save our children.

Department of Endocrinology, Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai 400 012. T use and smoking is a leading preventable cause of death both in India and the World. It is not only tobacco related products alone, but also local Indian products like bidis, gutkas, pan masalas, which are the culprits. Bidis are Indian cigarettes, wrapped in tendu or temburini leaf and secured with a string at one end of the cigarette. This relatively small tobacco product provides a powerful dose of chemicals. Bidis contain more than three times the amount of nicotine and more than five times the amount of tar than regular cigarette smoke. Bidis come in flavored varieties such as strawberry, chocolate, and mango and are subject to complaints by those who believe makers of bidis are trying to appeal to a young audience.1