A beedi is a form of smoking material commonly used by the lower income people in India especially in South India. Beedi making and smoking and passive smoking have a lot of disease potential. Beedi making is an important occupation in villages especially among women and women are forming the 99% of the workforce who roll beedi up to 1000 to 1100 per day.
The posture with which they roll the beedi is usually giving stress to the neck and I have seen young girls of 18 years are even suffering from early spondylotic changes in the X-rays. Beedi leaves are filled with the beedi leaves dust which when inhaled produces lower respiratory problems. Recently I have seen a lady of 70 years who did beedi rolling long ago but now suffering from features suggestive of IPF- Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.The bronchial asthma is also common and COPD in these beedi workers compared to the general…
