📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Sumita Roy Dutta
Health
Delhi’s Smog Equivalent to a Pack of Cigarettes After Just 15 Days, Health Experts Warn
✍️ NDTV
🗓 08 Nov 2026, 11:15 PM
👁 25
NDTV reports that breathing Delhi’s polluted air for two weeks can have health effects comparable to smoking a pack of cigarettes.
NDTV highlighted the alarming health risk posed by Delhi’s persistent smog, noting that a continuous exposure of just 15 days can mirror the damage caused by smoking a full pack of cigarettes.
Medical specialists explain that the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and toxic gases in the capital’s air irritate the respiratory tract, reduce lung capacity and can trigger inflammation, leading to short‑term symptoms such as coughing, breathlessness and eye irritation.
Prolonged exposure also strains the cardiovascular system, raising blood pressure and increasing the likelihood of heart‑related complications, a concern that mirrors the known risks of regular tobacco use.
Health authorities advise residents to limit outdoor activities during peak pollution hours, use certified masks, and monitor air‑quality indices, while urging policymakers to accelerate clean‑energy measures to curb the smog crisis.
Medical specialists explain that the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and toxic gases in the capital’s air irritate the respiratory tract, reduce lung capacity and can trigger inflammation, leading to short‑term symptoms such as coughing, breathlessness and eye irritation.
Prolonged exposure also strains the cardiovascular system, raising blood pressure and increasing the likelihood of heart‑related complications, a concern that mirrors the known risks of regular tobacco use.
Health authorities advise residents to limit outdoor activities during peak pollution hours, use certified masks, and monitor air‑quality indices, while urging policymakers to accelerate clean‑energy measures to curb the smog crisis.