• Increase in taxes on bidis as it benefits the poor, prompting them to quit, thus saving lives and money, besides bringing revenue to the Government for welfare and public health measures.

• The distinction in taxes on hand-made and machine made bidis needs to be eradicated as such a policy only promotes tax evasion.

• There is a need to find an alternative employment for the bidi workforce to end the bidi menace.

• Pictorial warnings are important because they would educate India's high proportion of illiterate bidi smokers. The reason being that most of the bidi users are not aware of the harmful effects of bidis and have lower literacy rates.

• The Government needs to take action to protect bidi workers.

- There are laws regarding prohibition of child labour and protection of bidi workers need to be implemented.

- The working conditions at the industry are horrifying.

- The minimum wages need to be increased, considering the occupational hazards attached to bidi making.

Responding to the release of this Monograph, Ms Monika Arora, Director, HRIDAY said, "This report has served the purpose of bringing bidi to the same level as other tobacco products in India and highlights the fact that bidis require same regulation treatment as other tobacco products in India, since the harm caused by bidis is same as other tobacco products in India."

AFTC is a coalition of several NGOs, public health experts, health professionals, research scientists', individuals working in the area of advocacy, awareness and research related to tobacco control in India. AFTC's main goal is to advocate policies for control of tobacco, which is a majorpublic health threat that claims close to 1 million victims annually in India.

Ms Bhavna Mukhopadhyay, VHAI commented, "The scientific evidence presented in the Bidi Monograph reemphasizes the compelling need to implement strong pictorial warnings on all tobacco products including bidis. Bidi smokers being at the lowest rung of literacy need powerful pictorial warnings that communicate the deadly effects of tobacco use as vividly as possible."

According to Ms. Shoba John, Programme Director of Health Bridge and one of the authors of the report reinforces, "Poor are the most price-sensitive. Substantial increase in bidi taxes will help most the poor- the largest bidi consumers-to stop the habit and start saving on life, health and treatment costs."

A senior member of AFTC, Dr. Mira Aghi commented, "Bidi workers are among the most exploited workers in India. They receive extremely low wages and are easy prey for unscrupulous contractors. The low pay bidi workers receive keeps them in poverty; it doesn't help them escape poverty."

Its time government responds to the growing scientific evidence and takes early steps to enforce the pictorial health warning on all tobacco products in India with no differential treatment to bidis.

Monika Arora