The US Surgeon General Vivek H Murthy released a report on tobacco-related disease and death, addressing health disparities. "Tobacco use imposes a heavy toll on families across generations. Now is the time to accelerate our efforts to create a world in which zero lives are harmed by or lost to tobacco,” he said.

As per the report, "Smoking has declined more than 70% in the United States since 1965. However, progress achieved through improvements in tobacco-related policies, regulations, programs, research, clinical care, and other areas, has not resulted in the same outcomes across all U.S. population groups."

The HHS Secretary for Health Xavier Bacerra said that tobacco use continues to decline, however it still remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. He also reflected on the fact that progress is still not across all populations and communities.

What Can Smoking Do To You?

As per Dr Mickey Mehta, also associated with prominent hospitals and organizations, including Jaslok Hospital, Asian Cancer Institute, and Tata Memorial, "Smoking rapidly increases insulin resistance; a primary characteristic feature of the disease type 2 diabetes. Nicotine and other chemicals in cigarette smoke impair the body's capacity to utilize its own insulin appropriately. Eventually, that makes it difficult to regulate blood sugar level by causing hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), one among the most common side effects of diabetes."

How Does It Affect You?

Your lung contains around 500 million tiny air sacks, known as alveoli that pull oxygen from the air when you breathe and releases carbon dioxide when you exhale. Smoking destroys these air sacks by killing the cells that line them, thus causing your lung to damage, overtime.

Lung cancer is also the most common cancer worldwide and claims around 1.8 million lives each year. The study also mentioned that by reducing smoking rates to 5% by 2050, it could extend life expectancy by one year for men and 0.2 years for women. It could actually lead to saving 876 million years of life, if the number of men and women is combined.

Murthy also pointed out that nearly half a million people each year lose their life due to smoking and secondhand smoke, also known as passive smoking.

What Is Passive Smoking And How Can It Affect You?

Passive smoking occurs when a non-smoker inhales smoke released by someone else's tobacco product, such as a cigarette or cigar. This exposure is harmful because the smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals, of which at least 70 are known carcinogens.

The toxic chemicals in tobacco smoke can cause genetic mutations in lung cells, leading to cancer. Passive smoke contains the same cancer-causing agents as directly inhaled smoke. When non-smokers are repeatedly exposed, these harmful substances accumulate in the lungs, damaging cells and causing inflammation. Prolonged exposure to secondhand smoke can weaken the respiratory system, which leads to conditions where cancer is more likely to develop. Research shows that non-smokers regularly exposed to smoke are as likely to develop lung cancer as smokers who smoke about one to two cigarettes daily.

India’s top health research body has suggested that new antibiotics launched in the country should only be made available through select hospital pharmacies. The advice comes amid rising fears of misuse, overuse, and growing resistance to even the most critical ‘last-resort’ antibiotics.

In a recent paper published in the Journal of Global Health, ICMR’s antimicrobial resistance (AMR) division, along with other researchers, warned that while new antimicrobials bring hope, past experience shows resistance often develops quickly.

What is antimicrobial resistance?

ICMR’s surveillance data paints a worrying picture. Klebsiella pneumoniae, a common hospital bug, is now 62.3% resistant to carbapenem (a powerful antibiotic used as a last line of defense). E. coli has also grown tougher, with its resistance to key drugs like imipenem and piperacillin-tazobactam rising sharply in the last six years.

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According to the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) project, between 3 and 10.4 lakh people in India died in 2019 due to bacterial AMR. Six superbugs which are E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae were linked to more than 2.14 lakh deaths that year alone.

Why Misuse Is The Biggest Driver

One area where India has shown stronger regulatory control is tuberculosis treatment, where strict monitoring of drug use has helped maintain effectiveness for longer. Experts say a similar model is needed for all new antibiotics.

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Why Stricter Rules Are Urgent

1. Access (narrow-spectrum, safer, and cheaper drugs that should be widely available)
2. Watch (higher resistance potential, meant for hospital settings)
3. Reserve (last-resort drugs for severe, multi-drug resistant infections)

In India, antimicrobials have traditionally been available through retail pharmacies and hospital formularies. While this approach makes drugs easily accessible, it does little to prevent misuse. With treatment options for multidrug-resistant infections running out fast, it has become essential to explore every possible way to curb the improper use of newer antibiotics. In this context, ICMR’s new recommendation to restrict sales could prove to be a useful step.

A 47-year-old autorickshaw driver from Royapettah, who had received a full course of vaccination after being bitten by a stray dog in July 2025, died of rabies at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH). He is the 22nd person to succumb to the disease in Tamil Nadu this year.

His death has left experts asking a difficult question, if protocols were followed, why are people still dying? Public health specialists suggest this may not just be a failure of administration, but a sign that India’s long-standing rabies protocol itself needs re-examination.

What Is Rabies?

“Rabies infects mammals, including dogs, cats, livestock and wildlife. It spreads to people through saliva, usually by bites, scratches, or direct contact with mucous membranes such as the eyes, mouth, or open wounds. Once symptoms appear, rabies is virtually 100% fatal,” explains Dr. Surrinder Kumar, MBBS, General Physician.

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Why Rabies Deaths Still Happen in India?

For those unversed, Rabies immunoglobulin is a medication made up of antibodies against the rabies virus. It is used to prevent rabies following exposure.

According to Dr Surrinder, the main reasons are:

1. Delayed or No Medical Attention: Many victims dismiss dog bites as minor and fail to seek immediate treatment.
2. Lack of Awareness: In rural and semi-urban areas, people often don’t know the importance of post-exposure vaccination.
3. Reliance on Home Remedies: Turmeric, lime, oils, and other traditional remedies are still used, offering no protection.
4. Incomplete Vaccination: Even if treatment begins, many patients drop out midway, making it ineffective.
5. Limited Access to Rabies Immunoglobulin (RIG): For severe bites, RIG is essential along with vaccines, but its high cost and patchy availability block timely use.

The Ground Reality of Rabies Treatment

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Alongside immunoglobulin, at least five separate rabies vaccine doses are necessary. These, Dr. Shaswath says, are not without side effects, as “every time people take the vaccine, they get fever.” While cities are able to conduct mass vaccination campaigns, rural areas face significant challenges in this regard.

He further stresses that rabies is not confined to dog bites alone. The virus can also spread from other animals, and in rare cases even from humans, if infected saliva comes in contact with open wounds or mucous membranes. “A bite isn’t always necessary,” he warns.

Dr. Ranjeet Singh, Professor and Head of General Medicine at NIIMS Medical College and Hospital, echoes the same concerns. He emphasises that rabies deaths in India do not reflect a failure of the vaccine itself. Instead, the main reasons are late treatment, lack of awareness, incomplete vaccination, shortage of immunoglobulin, and limited access in rural areas.

Is India’s Rabies Vaccination System Flawed?

India follows the WHO-approved five-dose rabies vaccine protocol, with immunoglobulin recommended for severe (Category III) bites. But the bigger question, they say, is whether the protocol assumes ideal conditions, which is immediate wound washing, uninterrupted cold chain storage, and trained professionals administering injections at the wound site. In reality, these conditions are not always met.

Common Mistakes After a Dog Bite Which Can Lead To Rabies

1. Not washing the wound immediately: The first step after a bite is washing with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes. Most skip it.
2. Covering the wound too soon: Tying cloth or applying bandages traps the virus inside.
3. Applying irritants: Substances like chili, lime, or ash worsen the wound and delay treatment.
4. Ignoring minor bites or scratches: Even tiny wounds can transmit rabies if saliva enters.
5. Stopping the vaccine midway: Completing the full course is essential; partial doses give no real protection.

To end rabies deaths in India, awareness must go hand in hand with medical access. Every bite, no matter how small, needs immediate action: wash, vaccinate, and if severe, take immunoglobulin.

“Rabies is 100% preventable but 100% fatal if ignored. No bite should ever be taken lightly. The key is simple, wash, vaccinate, and complete the course,” concludes Dr. Surrinder Kumar.

Sometimes a simple headache can derail your entire day. It slows down your work, causes you issues etc. When that happens, the easiest way to get rid of it is by taking medicine. However, did you know, you may be able to avoid taking the medicine by doing a simple check before?

Sometimes, the cause isn't a lack of medicine—it's a lack of hydration. Dehydration is a very common cause of headaches, and it's often overlooked. In a post, Suzanne Soliman, a US board certified pharmacist, explained that your headache may be a simple issue, that may not need medicine. Before you grab a pain reliever, try this simple trick: Drink a full glass of water with a small pinch of salt. The salt helps your body absorb the water better.

But how does salt water help you get rid of headaches? Is there medical backing to this or is it a placebo trick that helps some people?

Can Salt Water Treat a Migraine?

For some people, drinking salt water can help relieve a migraine, but it depends on the cause. Here are a couple of reasons why it might work:

You're dehydrated

If you've been sweating a lot, you lose both water and salt. Rehydrating with a glass of water and a pinch of salt can restore your body's balance and ease the headache.

You're on a low-salt diet

Several studies, like a 2021 study published in the Medical Science journal, suggest that if your body is used to a high-salt diet (like the average American diet), suddenly reducing your sodium intake can trigger a "withdrawal" headache. In this case, eating or drinking something salty might help.

However, the evidence isn't clear, and drinking too much salt water can make you feel sick. If you want to try this, only add a tiny pinch of salt to a full glass of water. A better way to get more salt might be through salty snacks or a sports drink with electrolytes.,

Can Eating Salt Prevent or Worsen a Migraine?

There's a complex link between salt and migraines. Some people who eat a lot of salt regularly report fewer migraine symptoms, possibly because their bodies are used to a high-sodium diet.

According to the 2021 study, the relief people feel when they eat salty foods during a migraine isn't a cure, but rather a temporary relief from withdrawal symptoms. This might help explain why some studies have found that people who eat more salt tend to have fewer migraines—their bodies are simply getting the high amount of salt they're used to.

Can Too Much Salt Trigger Migraine?

On the other hand, consuming too much salt can also be a migraine trigger. Eating too much salt can increase your blood pressure, which is a known cause of headaches and migraines. Studies have shown that for some people, a high-salt diet can actually make a migraine episode last longer.

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A 2023 study published in JAMA included 213 people with a median age of 61. The group was 65% female and 64% Black. Each person followed three different diets: their usual diet, a high-salt diet, and a low-salt diet.

If your headaches are related to high blood pressure, a low-salt diet may be more beneficial

Salt's effect on migraines is different for everyone. It might help if your headache is caused by dehydration or a sudden drop in sodium, but it could also trigger a migraine or make it worse if you have high blood pressure or are sensitive to salt. Always talk to your doctor to figure out what's best for you and your symptoms.

Salt's effect on migraines is different for everyone. It might help if your headache is caused by dehydration or a sudden drop in sodium, but it could also trigger a migraine or make it worse if you have high blood pressure or are sensitive to salt. Always talk to your doctor to figure out what's best for you and your symptoms.