How common is smoking tobacco in India

Factual Questions
21

[QUOTE=pkbites]
It would be nice if Barrington came back here and confirmed this, but I do think you missed the point of the use of the word “decent”.
[/QUOTE]
Yes, the reply struck me as something of a non sequitur too. I wasn’t saying they were good for you or anything (that would be a very stupid claim), rather that I enjoyed smoking them. They have a good flavour - although to be fair to BarnOwl, that’s a subjective opinion.

Oh, and a tip for anyone contemplating smoking a bidi (or beedie, or biri, or what have you): make sure you have something to drink with it. I find that they dry out my mouth.

22

[QUOTE=Dervorin]
Ye gods. I just had a brain-fart of epic proportions. You’re right, of course - the red stains are from betel nuts.
[/QUOTE]

Just to put things in the right perspective. The red stains are essentially from kattha, one of the ingredients in paan that is chewed with or without tobacco.