Passive smoking deaths rise nearly 50% in India: 444 million exposed to second-hand smoke, doctors warn non-smokers not to ignore the risk
A new study published in The Lancet Public Health indicates that second-hand smoke exposure remains a major health crisis in India, contributing to hundreds of thousands of deaths annually. While the percentage of exposed individuals has decreased, population growth has led to an increase in the absolute number of people affected.
Why it matters
The findings highlight the persistent danger of second-hand smoke and the limitations of current public health interventions in high-population regions.
A cigarette does not have to be in someone’s own hand to cause harm. Smoke released by another person can enter the lungs of people sitting nearby, including children, women and non-smokers who never chose to smoke.A new Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, published in The Lancet Public Health, puts the scale of this problem into perspective. An estimated 2.71 billion people worldwide were exposed to second-hand smoke in 2023, including 767 million children. The exposure was linked to 1.66 million deaths and 44.8 million disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) globally.The Indian numbers are particularly striking. About 444 million Indians were exposed to second-hand smoke in 2023, while 325,600 deaths were attributed to it. That was up from 217,700 deaths in 1990.The new findings reveal an important detail.
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