We all know that smoking is harmful to our health, but fewer people realize that breathing polluted air can be just as dangerous, if not more so. Millions of non-smokers face the risk of lung damage every day simply by breathing the air around them. Depending on where you live, the impact can vary significantly. Researchers tallied up the number of years of life lost to smoking versus air pollution around the world. Smoking was a little worse than air pollution.
Where Air Pollution Is Worse Than Smoking
But that’s for the entire world. Air pollution differs a lot around the world. For example, air pollution is a lot worse in parts of South Asia and the Middle East than in the US or Australia.
In South Asia and Africa, air pollution beats out smoking.
Where Smoking Does More Damage
In the US, since air pollution is a lot lower, smoking is more harmful.
Bottom line: Whether smoking kills more than air pollution depends on how much air pollution there is where people are living.
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