Leading health experts have called for India to adopt 100 per cent smoke‑free public places, citing that 3.25 lakh deaths in 2023 were attributable to second‑hand smoke. The call, made during a webinar by Tobacco Free India, highlights that non‑smokers can suffer serious health consequences from passive tobacco exposure.
Dr VK Paul, a former NITI Aayog member, noted that while the proportion of the population exposed to second‑hand smoke has fallen from 43 % in 1990 to 31 % according to a recent Global Burden of Disease study in The Lancet Public Health, the absolute burden remains high due to population growth. He added that globally 1.7 million deaths are caused by second‑hand smoke, and in India more than 3.25 lakh deaths occurred in 2023.
Other experts warned that passive smoking is as harmful as active smoking. Dr VM Katoch stressed that exposure damages respiratory and other organs, while Dr KK Talwar insisted that public places should be entirely smoke‑free. Dr Uma Kumar urged protection for women and children and called for moving beyond designated smoking zones to fully smoke‑free environments. All agreed that domestic exposure, especially among children, must also be addressed.
The discussion came 18 years after India’s smoke‑free public places rules took effect in 2008. WHO now lists almost 40 % of countries as having completely smoke‑free indoor public places, and India’s tobacco epidemic remains large, with 1.35 million deaths annually and an economic cost of Rs 1.77 lakh crore. The experts emphasized that stronger protection from second‑hand smoke should be part of a broader effort to reduce all forms of tobacco use and safeguard future generations.
