About 444 million Indians were exposed to second-hand smoke in 2023, while 325,600 deaths were attributed to the exposure, according to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 analysis published in The Lancet Public Health. The estimated number of deaths attributed to second-hand smoke in India increased from 217,700 in 1990 to 325,600 in 2023, highlighting the continuing health burden among people who do not smoke themselves. The global analysis estimated that 2.71 billion people were exposed to second-hand smoke in 2023, including 767 million children aged 0-14 years.

Second-hand smoke exposure accounted for an estimated 1.66 million deaths and 44.8 million disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) worldwide. Exposure Prevalence Has Declined, But Absolute Numbers Remain High The study found that India’s age-standardized second-hand smoke exposure prevalence declined from 43.2% in 1990 to…