Do Sweet Smokes Lure Teens?

In India, where they are made, they are called "the poor man's cigarette." Here in the U.S., health officials are concerned that bidis are becoming trendy with young smokers, particularly teen-agers. CBS This Morning Health Contributor Dr. Dave Hnida of CBS station KCNC-TV in Denver reports.

Last year, in a survey that included four San Francisco high schools, 58 percent of the students said they had tried bidis. Bidis come in a variety of flavors, like vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry.

Anna Falcone, tobacco buyer at Junkman's Daughter, a clothing and gift shop in Atlanta, said bidis are a top seller, outpaced only by clove cigarettes.

"It's just a little bit more exotic," she says.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had the following statement about the hazardous risk of smoking these cigarettes:

"Bidis represent a significant health risk and should not be considered a safe alternative to cigarette smoking and other tobacco products."

Although they contain less tobacco than regular cigarettes, the unfiltered ones release two to three times more tar and nicotine. According to the CDC, the incidence of lung cancer in India is higher among bidi smokers than among cigarette smokers.

Bidis are available at some cigarette shops and gas stations and at some health food stores. The Federal Trade Commission is investigating reports that many bidis are sold without the required warning labels.

"They're horrible," says Ron Todd, director of tobacco control for the American Cancer Society. "It's just unfortunate that they're finding their way into the hands of children."

One anti-smoker agrees that bidis are just another gimmick.

"Everybody's looking for some way to make a new cigarette and get a niche market," says John F. Banzhaf III, executive director of Action on Smoking and Health, a Washington-based anti-smoking group. "They'll put chocolate in it, they'll put vanilla in it."