92% of Indians support smoke-free public places: Study

New Delhi: Over 92 percent of Indian citizens favour completely smoke-free public places including airports and luxury restaurants, according to a poll by “Tobacco Free India” that received over 65,000 responses.

The poll was conducted in Hindi and English and included six questions about smoke-free public areas and the dangers of secondhand smoke. A majority of respondents supported stricter rules to safeguard women, children and vulnerable groups from harmful tobacco smoke in places like restaurants, hotels and airports.

Conducted from October 2 to 19 on X (formerly Twitter), the poll involved 65,272 participants and 97 percent of respondents supported making airports completely smoke-free, similar to railway stations.

Dr Uma Kumar, head of the rheumatology department at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi said, “While the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003 bans smoking in public places, it still permits designated smoking areas in airports, hotels with 30 or more rooms, and restaurants with seating capacities above 30."

“The situation continues to pose a significant public health threat. Scientific evidence has unequivocally demonstrated that secondhand smoke can easily penetrate these designated areas, exposing non-smokers to harmful toxins and increasing their risk of various diseases,” Kumar added.

The polls showed that women and children are especially at risk from secondhand smoke. Many people voiced their worries about how smoke-free environments could protect the health and well-being of these vulnerable groups. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has proposed amendments to COTPA to eliminate smoking zones, a move that has strong public support, as shown by the poll results.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), around 1.3 million Indians die each year from tobacco-related diseases, which poses a significant public health crisis. A recent study published in the Journal of Nicotine and Tobacco Research found that secondhand smoke leads to healthcare costs of ₹567 billion each year, representing 8 percent of total annual healthcare spending.