Top 10 African cities where people indirectly smoke the most cigarettes
The presence of dangerous substances in the air, both indoors and outdoors, that can have an impact on ecosystems, human health, and the climate constitutes air pollution.
Although dust storms and wildfires are examples of natural sources of air pollution, human activity is mostly to blame.
Fossil fuel-powered engines in automobiles, factories, building sites, power generators, and, in certain areas, even home cooking systems are the main offenders.
This point was highlighted in a report by HouseFresh, an independent platform that focuses on air quality and its solutions.
'Every day, the average adult inhales approximately 11,000 liters of air. But while getting outside and breathing in fresh air has numerous health benefits, the reality is that not all air is good for you,' the report states.
"Airborne pollutants are one of the greatest sources of toxic exposure known to humankind, and according to one estimate from the World Health Organization, air pollution contributes to seven million premature deaths worldwide every year,' it adds.
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which is airborne particles smaller than 0.033 the diameter of a human hair and originating from engines and other sources, is of particular concern, the report further explains.
A controlled investigation by Tobacco Control showed that cigarette smoke emits 10 times more PM2.5 matter than diesel vehicle exhaust.
It is more difficult to avoid the poisons that contaminate the air both inside and outdoors, even if stopping smoking lowers exposure to toxins and enhances general health.
'Breathing air pollution of 22 μg/m3 for one day is the equivalent of smoking one cigarette, according to Berkeley Earth.
But some global cities had average PM2.5 levels of up to 108.3 in 2024, the equivalent of smoking 1,797 cigarettes in a year,' the report states.
With that said, here are the 10 cities in Africa where people indirectly smoke the most cigarettes.
Top 10 African cities where people indirectly smoke the most cigarettes
Rank City Yearly cigarettes indirectly Country
1. N'Djamena 1,523 Chad
2. Kinshasa 966 Democratic Republic of Congo
3. Abuja 700 Nigeria
4. Kampala 680 Uganda
5. Kigali 677 Rwanda
6. Basse Santa Su 672 Gambia
7. Bujumbura 669 Burundi
8. Cairo 662 Egypt
9. Centurion 614 South Africa
10. Accra 602 Ghana
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