Beedi
A beedi (pronounced "bee-dee", also known as biri, bidi, beadi, beedie) is a type of cigarette, developed in India, in which coarsely powdered tobbaco leaves are rolled inside a bigger leaf of a Tendu tree (Diospyros melonoxylon roxb.) and tied together with a thin cotton thread. The most popular beedi brand in India is Ganesh beedi. The process of rolling a beedi is very similar to that of a handmade cigarette. Beedi-rolling is a very important cottage industry in India.
Beedi are popular in part because of their inexpensive cost. The cost is kept low by using child labour and the labour from people of lower casts. Tobacco content in beedis is 10-20%, and apart from regular cigarettes, beedis don't have added chemicals. However, since the tobacco in a beedi is left in its unrefined state, beedi smoking is very damaging to health, even when inhaled second-hand.