Secondhand smoke linked to nearly 1.7M deaths worldwide in 2023: Study

Researchers say health burden remains substantial despite long-term decline in share of people exposed to tobacco smoke

Nearly 1.7 million people globally died from exposure to secondhand smoke in 2023, according to a study published Tuesday. Secondhand smoke is smoke inhaled by people who are near someone using tobacco products. More than 2.7 billion people worldwide, including about 767 million children, were exposed to secondhand smoke in 2023, according to the study published in The Lancet Public Health. Researchers examined data from 204 countries and territories between 1990 and 2023 and found that exposure to secondhand smoke was linked to 1.66 million deaths and 44.8 million years of healthy life lost in 2023. Ischemic heart disease was the leading cause of death associated with secondhand smoke exposure among adults, while exposure was also linked to 5.2 million lower respiratory infections among children in 2023, the study found. Although the proportion of people exposed to secondhand smoke has declined since 1990, the overall number has remained broadly stable as a result of population growth, with exposure particularly increasing in parts of Africa and the Middle East. The researchers said second-hand smoke remains a major global health risk and called for stronger tobacco-control measures to protect people, particularly women and children.