Health experts have called for India to make all public places completely smoke-free, warning that second-hand smoke caused an estimated 325,600 deaths in 2023 and exposed about 444 million Indians. The appeal was made at a webinar organised by the citizen-led initiative Tobacco Free India on October 2, 18 years after the country’s smoking restrictions in public places took effect.
Citing a Global Burden of Disease study published in The Lancet Public Health, former NITI Aayog member Dr VK Paul said the share of Indians exposed to second-hand smoke had declined from 43% in 1990 to 31% in 2023. However, population growth meant the absolute number of exposed people remained enormous. The study estimated that deaths attributable to second-hand smoke rose from 217,700 in 1990 to 325,600 in 2023.
The research assessed exposure at home and in workplaces but did not capture exposure occurring exclusively in restaurants, public transport and private vehicles, suggesting that the actual burden could be broader than the estimates indicate.
India’s Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules, enforced on October 2, 2008, prohibit smoking in public places but permit designated smoking areas in certain large hotels, restaurants and airports. Experts said India should move beyond these exceptions and eliminate tobacco smoke from shared environments.
“Passive smoking is very dangerous. People are affected in public places, workplaces and even in their homes,” said Dr VM Katoch, former director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research. He noted that prolonged exposure can damage the respiratory system and affect several organs.
Senior cardiologist Dr KK Talwar said the harm is particularly serious for non-smokers who have no control over their surroundings. Dr Uma Kumar, head of rheumatology at AIIMS-Delhi, said the scale of exposure made passive smoking a wider public-health issue, especially for children and women. Katoch also urged India to address smoking in private homes, where restrictions in public spaces cannot protect vulnerable residents.
The World Health Organization estimates tobacco use causes nearly 1.35 million deaths annually in India. A WHO study valued the cost of tobacco-related diseases and premature deaths at Rs 1.77 lakh crore in 2017-18, about 1% of the country’s GDP. Smokeless products such as khaini, gutkha, tobacco-containing betel quid and zarda remain widely used alongside bidis, cigarettes and hookah.
Paul said the ultimate goal should extend beyond smoke-free spaces to a tobacco-free society, protecting future generations from both smoking and chewing tobacco. The central message was that the right to breathe clean air should not depend on whether someone else chooses to smoke.
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/10/04/when-the-smoke-isnt-yours-but-the-harm-is/
Category: SUNDAY FEATURE
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Publish Date: 2026-10-04 06:55:00
