Global study reports 1.66 million deaths from secondhand smoke in 2023

A comprehensive study published in 'The Lancet Public Health', conducted by the IHME at the University of Washington, reveals that 2.71 billion people were exposed to secondhand smoke globally in 2023. This figure includes 1.49 billion women and 767 million children under the age of 15. The research, which analyzed data from 204 countries between 1990 and 2023, identifies secondhand smoke as a significant contributor to premature mortality and disability, accounting for 1.66 million deaths and 44.8 million disability-adjusted life years in 2023 alone.

While the global percentage of the population exposed to secondhand smoke declined to 33.9% by 2023, the absolute number of people affected has remained largely stagnant. Regional disparities are stark, with Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Oceania recording exposure rates as high as 48.4%. In some nations within these regions, women are exposed at rates nearly 1.8 times higher than men. Furthermore, the number of individuals exposed to secondhand smoke in sub-Saharan Africa has nearly doubled since 1990, highlighting a shifting geographical burden of the public health crisis.