1.7 million people worldwide die from secondhand smoke annually – Sarmad

A study published in the medical journal The Lancet revealed that more than 2.7 billion people worldwide were exposed to secondhand smoke in 2023, resulting in approximately 1.7 million deaths, as tobacco continues to be a leading cause of disease and premature mortality globally.

The study, published on Tuesday, relied on a review of studies in the American PubMed database alongside population surveys.

It noted that among the 2.7 billion people exposed to secondhand smoke in 2023, 767 million were children aged between 0 and 14 years.

Estimates indicate that this exposure led to 1.66 million premature deaths, as well as cases of disability and early-onset health impairments, with ischemic heart disease caused by inadequate oxygen supply to the heart muscle topping the list.

Secondhand smoke also caused 5.2 million cases of respiratory infections in children during the same year.

The study pointed out that people near a smoker are exposed to sidestream smoke emitted from the burning tobacco product and mainstream smoke exhaled by the smoker.

Unfiltered sidestream smoke contains higher concentrations of toxic and carcinogenic compounds compared to the smoke inhaled by the smoker.

Despite a notable decline in global smoking prevalence rates since 1990, the absolute number of people exposed to secondhand smoke has remained stable due to population growth and increasing exposure rates in Africa and the Middle East.

The study urged governments to implement stricter measures to curb smoking in public places and homes, emphasizing that “there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.”