India's Secondhand Smoke Toll: 3.25 Lakh Deaths and 444 Million Breathing Someone Else's Fumes

A landmark Lancet study has put a devastating number on India's passive smoking crisis: 3,25,600 Indians died from secondhand smoke exposure in 2023, nearly 50% more than the 2,17,700 deaths recorded in 1990. India now accounts for 444 million of the world's 2.71 billion people exposed to secondhand smoke — the second-highest national burden after China's 664 million. Children under 14 make up 767 million of those exposed globally, with lower respiratory infections...