Bidi Smoking & Coronary Artery Disease

The health dangers of smoking cigarettes have been well documented and publicized. There is an alternative cigarette known as a bidi that is touted as a safer product because it is made of natural ingredients and contains less tobacco. Bidis may be just as harmful as regular cigarettes and contribute to deadly diseases such as cancer and coronary artery disease.

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Bidi Cigarettes

• Bidis are small, hand-rolled cigarettes wrapped in brown leaves. Most of them are made in India and other countries in South Asia. They are appealing to adolescents because they come in flavors such as strawberry, chocolate and raspberry. Bidis can be purchased online and at stores that sell health food items, drug paraphernalia and ethnic groceries.

Coronary Artery Disease

• Coronary artery disease is a condition in which the arteries leading to the heart become restricted or clogged due to a buildup of plaque. Plaque develops when there are unhealthy levels of fat, cholesterol and other substances in the blood. Smoking cigarettes is one of the risk factors to developing this disease. Smoking causes damage to the coronary arteries, which initiates a healing process where excess fatty tissues are released in the bloodstream. According to the American Heart Association: "Cigarette smokers are two-to-three times more likely to die from coronary heart disease than nonsmokers."

Misconceptions

• Some consumers believe that bidis are a safer alternative to conventional cigarettes because they contain less nicotine. Bidis have actually been found to be unsafe and may cause as much harm to body as traditional cigarettes. Even though bidis have a smaller amount of nicotine than regular cigarettes, the levels of nicotine received by smokers is the same or greater when smoking bidis. In a study held by the National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, bidi smokers were found to be equally as likely to form an addiction to nicotine as those who smoke regular cigarettes, leading them to have the same increased risk of developing heart or respiratory disease and cancer.

Significance

• It is important that consumers fully understand the implications of smoking bidis and the increased risk of developing coronary artery disease and other conditions. Parents and educators should be aware that these alternative cigarettes are appealing to youths.

Considerations

• Other factors besides smoking that increase the likelihood of developing coronary artery disease include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and having a family history of early heart disease. Quitting smoking and making other changes for a healthier lifestyle can greatly reduce the chances of being diagnosed with coronary artery disease.