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Sen Richard Durbin's Letter To The FDA Regarding Bidis

The letter from Senator Richard Durbin (Democrat, Illinois) set the ball rolling and ended with the ban on Mangalore Ganesh bidis:

May 25, 1999

Jane Henney, MD

Commissioner

Food and Drug Administration

Park Lawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane

Rockville, MD 20857

Dear Dr Henney:

I am writing to urge swift action by the Food and Drug Administration to prevent the illegal sales of bidis to minors. The new fad among young people of smoking bidis is very troubling. bidis are thin unfiltered cigarettes that are wrapped in brown leaves and tied with a short length of thread. They come in different flavors, including strawberry, chocolate, almond and root beer. They are sold in tobacco speciality stores, and frequently in health food stores as well.

Bbidis are not a safe alternative to regular cigarettes. According to information from the Centers for Disease Control, bidis cause cancer. They have seven to eight times the nicotine and twice the tar contained in regular cigarettes. A higher percentage of nicotine means a bigger headrush than cigarettes as well as a stronger addiction to the product. The fact that bidis are filterless means that more of the cancer-causing agent, tar, goes directly to the smoker's system.

The health risks of bidis, unfortunately, are not widely known. According to a study conducted in San Francisco, 44 per cent of adolescent smokers believe that bidis do not cause cancer. The fact that they are sold in health food stores also contributes to the misconception about the safety of the product.

Bidis have become popular among teens who see them as exotic and easier to smoke because of the flavoring. They are very popular in California, but the trend appears to be spreading to cities like St Louis, Chicago, Cleveland and Boston. A poll of 461 teens at four San Francisco high schools found that 58 per cent had tried bidis once, and 40 percent had smoked them more than once.

I have enclosed a copy of a May 11, 1999, Associated Press story published in the Miami Herald about the rising popularity of bidis.

The story also asserts that bidis often cost less than regular cigarettes, which is probably another reason why they are popular among young people.

A study funded by the San Francisco Anti-Smoking Project found that in compliance tests where teens tried to purchase bidis as well as regular cigarettes, bidis were sold to the underage buyers without age identification twice as often as regular cigarettes.

Since February 28, 1997, Food and Drug Administration rules have prohibited retailers from selling cigarettes, loose cigarette tobacco, and smokeless tobacco to anyone under age 18, and have required retailers to verify the age of the purchaser by means of photo identification. Compliance checks are carried out to ensure that the federal rule is followed.

I urge you to add bidis to the list of tobacco products purchased during compliance checks. bidis have been classified as cigarettes by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. bidis also fall under the definition of cigarettes in the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act as well as the FDA Regulations Restricting the Sale and Distribution of Cigarettes and Smokeless Tobacco to Protect Children and Adolescents.

I thank you for your time and appreciate your quick attention to this matter. I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

EARLIER REPORT/FEATURE:

US bans Karnataka firm's bidis

California Teenagers Target Bidis, Get Backing Of Influential Congressman

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