NEW DELHI: A new Lancet study reveals a sharp rise in deaths linked to tobacco smoke exposure in India over the past three decades. While the proportion of Indians exposed has fallen, the number of people affected has climbed to 444 million.
Tobacco smoke can harm people even when they are not the ones holding a cigarette. A new study published in The Lancet Public Health has highlighted the enormous health burden linked to exposure to smoke from other people’s tobacco use in India. The study estimates that 325,600 deaths in India were attributable to second-hand smoke in 2023, a sharp increase from 217,700 deaths in 1990.
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The findings are particularly concerning because the number of Indians exposed to tobacco smoke has increased even though the overall percentage of the population exposed has fallen. According to the study, around 444 million people in India were exposed in 2023, compared with 375 million in 1990. This represents an increase of about 18.4% in the absolute number of people exposed over the period.
The research shows that even when the proportion of people exposed declines, population growth can result in a larger number of people being affected. This has contributed to a substantial health burden linked to tobacco smoke exposure in India.
DEATHS HAVE RISEN BY ALMOST 50% SINCE 1990
The study found that deaths linked to second-hand smoke increased from 217,700 in 1990 to 325,600 in 2023, representing a rise of almost 50% over 33 years.
The increase was seen among both men and women. Deaths among women rose from 113,400 in 1990 to 156,900 in 2023. Among men, deaths increased from 104,300 to 168,700 during the same period.
The study also estimated that exposure to second-hand smoke was responsible for 9.28 million disability adjusted life years in India in 2023. Disability adjusted life years, or DALYs, measure the amount of healthy life lost because of premature death, illness or disability.
These figures show that the impact of exposure is not limited to deaths. Millions of healthy years are also lost because of diseases and health problems associated with tobacco smoke exposure.
HOW TOBACCO SMOKE CAN AFFECT HEART AND BRAIN
The health effects associated with exposure were linked to several serious conditions, including ischaemic heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, breast cancer, type 2 diabetes, asthma and lower respiratory infections.
Dr KK Talwar, Cardiologist and Chairman of PSRI Heart Institute, New Delhi, explained that exposure to tobacco smoke can affect the inner lining of blood vessels.
“Passive smoking is as bad as active smoking. When you inhale nicotine, it affects the inner layer of the arteries that go to the brain and the heart. Because of the damage to the endothelium and inner layer of the vessel, there is inflammation and then a plaque forms, which can be a source of blockages that can cause a stroke,” he said.
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