New Delhi. In India, it is having a very serious impact on the health of the smokers as well as the people around them. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 report of the medical journal 'The Lancet' has revealed very worrying figures regarding passive smoking i.e. second-hand smoke in India. According to this report, between 1990 and 2023, deaths due to passive smoking in India have increased by about 50 percent. This means that even people who do not smoke cigarettes or beedis themselves are facing serious health problems due to exposure to tobacco smoke of others.
Read :- Yogi government will save lives of 12 thousand people every year in 'Golden Hour' through UPTEN network, free emergency treatment for 48 hours.
According to the report, in 2023, premature deaths of about 3 lakh 25 thousand 600 people in India were related to passive smoking. At the same time, in the year 1990 this figure was around 2 lakh 17 thousand 700. These data show that the health effects of second-hand smoke have increased continuously in the last three decades. The biggest concern is that about 44.4 crore people in the country are exposed to second-hand smoke in some form or the other. According to this, India is among the most affected countries in the world.
On the basis of gender, the deaths due to passive smoking in the year 2023 included about 1.68 lakh men and 1.56 lakh women. This means that tobacco smoke is not only a threat to the person smoking, but also poses serious health risks to people around him or her at home, workplace, public places or elsewhere. Its effect is said to be very serious on children also. According to the report data, more than 52 lakh cases of respiratory tract infections in children were linked to exposure to second-hand smoke. Children are especially sensitive to the ill effects of tobacco smoke because their lungs and respiratory system are not fully developed. According to health experts, the harmful chemicals present in tobacco smoke can increase the risk of serious diseases related to heart and lungs if they enter the body for a long time. Passive smoking is linked to serious diseases like ischemic heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The risk of heart and respiratory problems may be increased, especially in people exposed to second-hand smoke for a long time.
Let us tell you that in this report, the economic and social impact of this health crisis has also been measured through DALYs i.e. Disability-Adjusted Life Years. Passive smoking in India is estimated to result in loss of approximately 92.8 lakh healthy life-years in the year 2023. Let us tell you that DALYs are used to measure the combined burden of premature death due to a disease or risk and years spent with disease or disability. These latest figures have once again underlined the need for tobacco control and a smoke-free environment in India. Experts believe that it is not enough to make smokers aware, but it is also very important to protect non-smokers from tobacco smoke at homes, workplaces and public places.