Health experts are issuing a firm warning: air pollution India is pushing the country’s youth into a respiratory health emergency, and the nation’s future could pay the price.
Every year, nearly 81,700 new cases of lung cancer are diagnosed among younger Indians, marking a disturbing shift. Diseases once linked to older adults—such as lung cancer, COPD, and tuberculosis—are now striking the young, fueled by relentless exposure to polluted air. From dawn runners battling smog, professionals stuck in toxic traffic fumes, to students in polluted classrooms—air pollution India is taking a toll on every breath.
The danger is not confined to outdoor air. At RESPICON 2025—the eighth National Conference on Respiratory Medicine—experts stressed that indoor pollutants, like kitchen smoke and biomass fuel, are significantly raising respiratory issues risks among non-smoking women, a health threat often overlooked in public debates.
“What alarms us is how visibly the youth—the very segment that should be the strongest—are showing the scars of toxic air. If young Indians cannot breathe freely today, the nation’s future suffocates with them.”
Dr. Aditya K. Chawla, Organising Secretary of RESPICON 2025, delivered a stark message.
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