Inhaler demand jumps 60% for children

New Delhi: The demand for nebulisers, inhalers and respiratory medicines for children has surged sharply in Delhi during winter months, with chemists reporting spikes of up to 60 per cent during periods of severe air pollution, a survey has found out.

Nearly one-third of all nebuliser purchases were for children, reflecting the growing respiratory distress among younger age groups amid worsening air quality, the survey report noted. The comprehensive survey was carried out by ‘Warrior Moms’ in collaboration with chemists in south, east, north and central Delhi last year, followed by a re-run with more pharmacists this year.

Chemists reported that sales of commonly prescribed asthma and respiratory medicines such as Asthalin, Levolin, Budecort and Seroflo rose significantly between November and January, when pollution levels typically peak.