Secondhand smoke deaths rise in India, global toll high

A new study published in The Lancet Public Health reveals a significant increase in deaths and the absolute number of people exposed to secondhand smoke in India over the past three decades, despite a decline in the overall proportion of the population affected. Globally, the research estimates that approximately 1.7 million deaths in 2023 were attributable to passive smoking, with over 2.7 billion people exposed worldwide. In India, the study estimates that 325,600 deaths occurred in 2023 due to secondhand smoke, a nearly 50 percent increase from 217,700 deaths in 1990. The number of Indians exposed to tobacco smoke also rose, from approximately 375 million in 1990 to 444 million in 2023. This rise in the absolute number of exposed individuals, despite a decrease in the exposure prevalence from 43.2 percent to 30.6 percent, is attributed to population growth. Secondhand smoke, also known as passive smoking, occurs when individuals inhale smoke from another person's tobacco use.