Bidi smoking costs India over ₹80,000 cr every year: Study

Bidi smoking costs India over ₹80,000 crore in ill health and early deaths every year, according to a study. This is equivalent to 0.5% of the country's GDP and more than 2% of its total health spend, the study observed. The study also suggested that about 15 million face poverty because of spending on tobacco and associated health costs.