New Delhi: Deaths in India linked to long-term exposure to other people’s cigarette smoke rose to 3.25 lakh in 2023, according to findings published by the international medical journal The Lancet. The estimate is about 50% higher than the 1990 figure.
Governments at the Centre and in states have introduced multiple curbs on tobacco use, including restrictions on advertising, health warnings during smoking scenes in films and television, and a ban on selling tobacco products to those under 18.
The analysis, part of the Global Burden of Disease – 2023 work, compiled data from 204 countries. It found that 2.7 billion people worldwide were exposed to secondhand smoke in 2023, with about half of them in India, China and Indonesia. Children under 14 accounted for 767 million of those exposed.
Country-wise, exposure was reported among 664 million people in China, 444 million in India and 142 million in Indonesia. In India, the number of people exposed increased from 375 million in 1990 to 444 million in 2023.
Delhi-based pulmonologist Dr Neetu Jain said the health impact of secondhand smoke is not limited to the lungs and can affect multiple organs over time. She warned that people with conditions such as coronary artery disease may face worse outcomes, and that children—whose lungs are still developing—are particularly vulnerable, underscoring the need to reduce smoking nationwide.
