Selling Death on Social Media: How Bidis Are Reaching Consumers Online
November 10, 2021
Nearly 72 million adults in India use bidis, with more than 47% of tobacco users in India smoking their first bidi before their 10th birthday.
Despite restrictions on tobacco advertising in India, the unregulated, homegrown bidi industry is thriving on social media. Through direct marketing on Facebook pages, bidi companies are able to directly reach millions of consumers regardless of age or existing tobacco control regulations.
Vital Strategies, a partner in STOP, analyzed how bidis are marketed to consumers on social media to provide insight into this historically opaque industry. Download the report to learn more.
