Air pollution is as harmful as tobacco for your lungs, warns WHO

Pointing at the increasing rate of air pollution and its harmful impacts on the global population, especially children health, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned all that air pollution is the new tobacco and it can affect your health as much as smoking tobacco does.

In case you are planning to give up smoking for saving your lungs, you may still not be able to do so. Reason is the alarming rate of air pollutionthat has compelled the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) state a warning that air pollution is the new tobacco. Data from WHO has also shown that every year, breathing polluted air is killing 7 million people and adversely impacting billions of the population, highlighted a recent media report.

Pointing out at the fact that 90% of the world population suffers from toxic air, particularly affecting the children in the worst way, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO's director general, reportedly said: "The world has turned the corner on tobacco. Now it must do the same for the 'new tobacco' the toxic air that billions breathe every day. No one, rich or poor, can escape air pollution. It is a silent public health emergency."

He also spoke about the first global conference on air pollution and health to be held in Geneva next week that would focus on a high-level action day. This day would see nations from around the globe pledging several ways of reducing air pollution.

In her statement, Dr Maria Neira, WHO director of public health highlighted that children and infants are at a greater risk as around 300 million children live in regions which are more prone to air pollution and have six times higher air pollution that recommended permissible levels.

She reportedly said: "Air pollution is affecting all of us but children are the most vulnerable of all. We have to ask what are we doing to our children, and the answer I am afraid is shockingly clear: we are polluting their future, and this is very worrying for all us." According to her, these children who are exposed to the toxins in air are more prone to develop chronic respiratory ailments like asthma, cancer and impaired intelligence.