The Evolution of the BD Industry

Tobacco was cultivated in southern Gujarat and men spent their evenings chatting away while they passed a hookah around. As the demand picked up, rolling BD's became a home-based business. The Swadeshi movement encouraged people to ditch foreign cigarettes for home-made BD's. While 4% of Indian adults smoke cigarettes, 8% of the population are BD smokers. Some research found that oral cancer was 40% more prevalent in BD smokers compared to those who use cigarettes.