Clin Asst Prof Sewa Duu Wen, Head and Senior Consultant of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine at Singapore General Hospital (SGH), recently visited Dhaka. In an interview with The Daily Star, he discussed the growing burden of respiratory diseases, the realities of critical care, the impact of air pollution, lessons from COVID-19, and practical steps the public can take to protect their lungs.

More than 500 people have been sickened in an outbreak of vaping-related illness in the United States, health authorities say, as Los Angeles became the latest city to take steps to ban flavored e-cigarettes.

The two most common chronic lung diseases claimed 3.6 million lives worldwide in 2015, a tally in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine says.

Over 3,200 Americans under the age of 18 smoke their first cigarette every day, and most of them are unaware of what they are getting into. Many new smokers may not realize how quickly their new habit can lead to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, lung diseases, and certain types of cancer.