Second-hand smoke causes nearly 1.7M deaths globally: Study
More than 2.7 billion people, including children, were exposed to secondhand smoke globally, contributing to nearly 1.7 million deaths in 2023, according to a study published Tuesday in The Lancet Public Health.
In 2023, secondhand smoke affected around 2.7 billion individuals, comprising 767 million children, leading to an estimated 1.66 million premature deaths globally, according to a study published in The Lancet Public Health. The research, which analyzed data from PubMed and population surveys, revealed that exposure to secondhand smoke was responsible for 1.66 million premature deaths and numerous other health issues, primarily ischemic heart disease, which results from inadequate oxygen supply to the heart muscle.
Among children, exposure resulted in 5.2 million respiratory tract infections in 2023. The study emphasized that, despite declining smoking rates globally since 1990, the number of people exposed remained stable due to population growth and increased exposure in Africa and the Middle East. Women, especially in regions with low smoking prevalence among women, were disproportionately affected by secondhand smoke.
The findings underscored the need for governments to enforce stricter tobacco regulations in public spaces and homes to safeguard women and children from secondhand smoke exposure.
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