Secondhand Smoke

An Unequal Danger

February 2015

58 million

1 in 4 nonsmokers (58 million people) in the US are still exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS).

2 in 5

About 2 in every 5 children (including 7 in 10 black children) are exposed to SHS.

1 in 3

More than 1 in 3 nonsmokers who live in rental housing are exposed to SHS.

No level of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure is safe. SHS exposure occurs when nonsmokers breathe in smoke exhaled by smokers or from burning tobacco products. It kills more than 400 infants and 41,000 adult nonsmokers* every year. Exposure to SHS among US nonsmokers has declined, but progress has not been the same for everyone. SHS exposure is more common among children ages 3 to 11 years, blacks, people living below the poverty level, and those who rent housing.

State and city officials can help protect children and adult nonsmokers from SHS in the places they live, visit, and work by using proven methods to eliminate smoking in:

Indoor areas of all public places such as restaurants, bars, casinos, and other private worksites.
Multiunit housing such as apartments, condominiums, and government funded housing.

*Infant deaths due to secondhand smoke-related Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Deaths among nonsmoking adults due to secondhand smoke-related lung cancer and heart disease.