Tobacco Control 2001;10:181–183 181 Tob Control: first published as 10.1136/tc.10.2.181 on 1 June 2001. Downloaded from Comparison of the nicotine content of tobacco used in bidis and conventional cigarettes Jennifer L Malson, Kristi Sims, Ram Murty, Wallace B Pickworth Abstract varieties of bidi cigarettes, including cherry, Objective—To compare the nicotine menthol, cinnamon, strawberry, vanilla, and content of 12 unfiltered brands of bidi raspberry, are widely available in retail outlets cigarettes (hand rolled cigarettes im- and on the internet. Flavour additives may par- ported from India) with 8 popular brands tially account for the popularity of bidis among of filtered and unfiltered US and young consumers. Other explanations for bidi conventional cigarettes from India. popularity among teens are that they are less Main outcome measures—Identical labo- expensive than commercially available ciga- ratory procedures were used to determine rettes, they easily accessible, and they are nicotine content (in duplicate) and physi- trendy.67 cal characteristics. Toxicological and epidemiological reports Results—The nicotine concentration in indicate that the smoke of bidis, like the tobacco of bidi cigarettes (21.2 mg/g) commercial cigarettes and cheroots, contains was significantly greater than the tobacco phenol, hydrogen cyanide, and benzo(a)py- from the commercial filtered (16.3 mg/g) renes8 and total particulate matter, a measure and unfiltered cigarettes (13.5 mg/g). directly related to the amount of carcinogenic Conclusions—Bidi cigarettes contain material.9 Nair and colleagues identified carci- higher concentrations of nicotine than nogenic tobacco specific nitrosamines from the conventional cigarettes. Therefore, it is smoke of bidis in concentrations similar to 10 logical to presume that bidi smokers are at those of commercial cigarettes. Bidis also risk of becoming nicotine dependent. deliver considerable amounts of carbon These findings belie a popular belief monoxide. Blood carboxyhaemoglobin con- 11 among US teens that bidis are a safe alter- centrations were raised in bidi smokers and native to commercial cigarettes. the concentrations of carboxyhaemoglobin http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/ (Tobacco Control 2001;10:181–183) were correlated with self-assessed degree of smoke inhalation and number of bidis.12 Com- Keywords: bidis; beedies; youth pared to the smoke of an unfiltered US cigarette, bidi smoke contained more carbon A recent estimate of smoking initiation monoxide, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, indicates that worldwide between 82 000 and 1 phenol, volatile phenols, benz(a)anthracene, 99 000 young people begin smoking each day. and benzo(a)pyrene.13 14 These studies indicate In the USA, about 3000 teenagers begin smok- 2 that bidis are hazardous to health. Further, the ing daily, nearly one million a year. Despite delivery of nicotine in suYcient quantities ini- eVorts aimed at decreasing teenage smoking, tiates and sustains dependence,15 which there has been an increase in smoking among perpetuates the delivery of toxic components that age group.3 Although many US teenage of smoke to the user. on September 24, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. smokers prefer commercial cigarette brands 4 Although some studies have been conducted such as Marlboro and Camels, others are to establish nicotine and tar levels of bidis on a National Institute on attracted to alternative tobacco products such standard smoking machine, the nicotine Drug Abuse, as bidis, cloves, and additive-free, natural concentration of tobacco in bidis has not been 56 Intramural Research tobacco cigarettes. In a national study, 13 Program, Baltimore, examined. Given the large variety of bidi 2.4–5.0% of adolescents were using bidi cigarettes available, it is uncertain how applica- Maryland, USA 5 J L Malson cigarettes. A convenience sample from Boston ble the results of previous studies are to the W B Pickworth indicates a higher prevalence with 16% of ado- products currently available. In the present lescents as current users.6 There is a notion Murty study, the nicotine content and other physical Pharmaceuticals Inc, among teenage smokers that alternative characteristics of 12 popular brands of Lexington, Kentucky, cigarettes have less health risks than unfiltered bidi cigarettes, three Indian and four USA conventional cigarettes.6 K Sims US commercial filtered cigarettes, and a R Murty Bidis, an alternative type of cigarette, are non-filtered “additive-free” cigarette (Ameri- manufactured in India and exported can Spirit) were compared. Correspondence to: worldwide. Bidis consist of finely ground, sun Wallace Pickworth, PhD, NIDA, Intramural Research dried tobacco rolled in a brown, tendu leaf. Methods Program, Addiction Research The leaf is from a broad leafed plant (Diospyrus Commercial cigarettes and bidis (tables 1 and Center, 5500 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD melanoxylon or Diospyrus ebemum) native to 2) were obtained from local retail outlets for 21224, USA India. Bidi cigarettes are similar in appearance the study. Tobacco weights of the cigarettes [email protected] to hand rolled marijuana cigarettes or joints. were based on an average of 10 cigarettes, Received 29 June 2000 and Most bidis are 60 mm in length, although while the tobacco weights of the bidis were in revised form 23 October 2000. Accepted 6 some are 100 mm. Most bidis are unfiltered, based on an average of 20 bidis. For each brand February 2001 although a few are filtered. Highly flavoured of bidi cigarette, the tobacco was removed from www.tobaccocontrol.com 182 Malson, Sims, Murty, et al Tob Control: first published as 10.1136/tc.10.2.181 on 1 June 2001. Downloaded from Table 1 Characteristics of bidi cigarettes Results As shown in table 1, the 12 brands of bidi ciga- Average Average Average cigarette weight tobacco weight nicotine/rod Nicotine rettes had an average weight of 506 mg per (mg) (mg) (mg) (mg/g)* cigarette. The tobacco weight averaged Irie Cherry 447.1 173.2 3.6 20.8 20.1 215 mg. The tendu leaf wrapping accounted Irie Menthol 456.6 211.4 3.3 15.7 15.3 for 51.2–65.5% of the total cigarette weight. Irie Cinnamon 432.0 179.1 3.5 18.8 19.9 This supports prior findings that the tendu leaf Irie Strawberry 449.0 219.3 4.5 20.4 20.7 Irie Vanilla 441.0 197.4 3.8 19.6 19.1 is responsible for, on average, 60% of the total 14 Sher Bidis 100 1024.8 466.4 12.4 27.0 27.1 weight of a bidi. The nicotine concentration Sher Bidis 368.1 166.2 3.9 23.0 24.5 of the tobacco from the bidi cigarettes averaged Shiv Sigar Raspberry 467.9 200.4 4.0 20.1 20.3 Shiv Sigar Chocolate 100 576.3 242.5 5.7 23.3 23.6 21.2 mg/g compared to the tobacco from Kailis Bidi Menthol 503.4 181.1 3.4 18.7 18.8 filtered and unfiltered commercial cigarettes Kailis Bidi Strawberry 552.8 190.6 4.0 20.9 21.4 (table 2) that averaged 16.3 mg/g and Guru Bidis 355.5 155.5 3.9 24.8 25.7 Overall averages 506.2 215.3 4.7 21.2 13.5 mg/g, respectively. Statistical compari- sons of the nicotine concentrations revealed *Analyses were run in duplicate, results are shown for both determinations that the bidis contained tobacco significantly Table 2 Characteristics of commercial cigarettes more concentrated in nicotine than the filtered (t(15) = 2.59, p = 0.02) and the unfiltered Average Average Average (t(13) = 3.87, p = 0.002) cigarettes. The cigarette weight tobacco weight nicotine/rod Nicotine (mg) (mg) (mg) (mg/g) weight of commercial filtered and unfiltered commercial cigarettes averaged 940 mg and Unfiltered American Spirit (US) 1130.5 1064.4 17.7 16.2 17.0 917 mg, respectively. The tobacco content of Golcondo (I) 823.6 772.4 9.0 11.4 11.8 commercial filtered and unfiltered commercial Charminar (I) 796.5 745.1 9.2 12.5 12.2 cigarettes averaged 739 mg and 861 mg, Overall averages 916.9 860.6 12.0 13.5 respectively. Commercial cigarettes in the Filtered present study contained similar concentrations Marlboro (US) 921.8 710.0 12.0 17.0 16.8 and amounts of nicotine to those reported in Newport Menthol (US) 938.0 715.6 14.0 19.5 19.5 18 Camel (US) 927.8 716.3 12.1 16.7 17.1 other studies. The overall average nicotine Kool Menthol (US) 915.5 710.9 14.0 19.5 19.9 concentration of bidis (21.2 mg/g) was larger Gold Flake (I) 992.1 840.0 7.0 8.3 8.2 than any of the commercial brands of cigarettes Overall averages 939.0 738.6 11.8 16.3 (filtered or unfiltered). However, Irie Menthol US, US brand; I, Indian brand. bidis had an average nicotine concentration (15.5 mg/g) that was lower than American the wrapping, weighed, and pooled for chemi- Spirit and several filtered commercial brands. cal analysis (in duplicate). Two samples were taken from the pooled resource and analysed. http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/ Discussion These results were averaged for an overall total. The bidis tested contained less tobacco than The amount of nicotine was determined other cigarettes. However, their tobacco using a Hewlett Packard 6890 gas contains significantly higher concentrations of chromatograph equipped with an autosampler nicotine than the tobacco of commercial and a flame ionisation detector using methods cigarettes. One measure of the addictive poten- described elsewhere.16 17 Briefly, a Hewlett tial of tobacco products is the amount of nico- Packard HP1 methyl silicon column (0.53 mm tine available to the consumer. Benowitz and inner diameter, 0.88 µm film thickness, 30 m Henningfield have theorised that a minimum length) was used.