Disparities in secondhand smoke exposure in the United States

A study from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center assessed the U.S. prevalence of secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe) among individuals aged 3 years and older. The investigation was based on de-identified patient data from the 2011–2012, 2013–2014, 2015–2016, and 2017–2018 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Although the incidence of SHSe declined among the country’s nonsmoking populations during 1988–2012, the new analysis reflected little improvement since then. Racial and economic disparities have persisted during the study period, report the researchers, who found that SHSe affected about 48% of non-Hispanic Blacks in 2017–2018 but only about 22% of non-Hispanic whites. Among individuals living below the poverty line, nearly 45% had exposure vs. about 21% of those living above the poverty line. Aside from race and socioeconomic status, researchers identified age 3–11 years and education below the high school level as factors influencing SHSe. Given the associated health threats in both children and adults—ranging from pediatric infections and asthma attacks to infant mortality to heart and lung problems in adults—the investigators believe the smoke-free laws in place in some states must be expanded to cover other forms of exposure. In addition, they conclude, these laws should ban smoking in cars and private homes if they are to affect a meaningful drop in SHSe among young children and other vulnerable populations.