Exposure to secondhand smoke in the US has dropped by half between 1999 and 2012. However, 1 in 4 nonsmokers are still exposed to deadly secondhand smoke, according to a new study.
The report from the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) states that around 58 million nonsmokers and 2 out of 5 children aged 3-11 years are still exposed despite a significant reduction in secondhand smoke levels.
“Secondhand smoke can kill. Too many Americans, and especially too many American children, are still exposed to it,” says CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden. “That 40% of children – including 7 in 10 black children – are still exposed shows how much more we have to do to protect everyone from this preventable health hazard.”
SHS exposure was assessed by measuring the levels of cotinine – a chemical compound found in tobacco – in the blood. Data were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
The CDC state that there is no safe level of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure. Every year, SHS is associated with the deaths of over 400 infants and 41,000 adult nonsmokers.
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