Don’t smoke at home or in the car, and don’t let guests smoke indoors
UpdatedGrade ABig benefitLifespanFreeLittle timeSome willpower
Around 600,000 people worldwide die each year from secondhand smoke exposure; nearly 30% of those are children. Long‑term exposure to secondhand smoke raises the risk of hypertension, heart disease, and stroke by roughly 30% compared to non‑exposed individuals. Smoke inhaled at home is even more harmful than smoke encountered outside.
- Cost
- There is no monetary cost and it takes little time. The challenge is simply having the conversation with family members and guests to keep them from smoking indoors.
- Benefit
- In 2004, secondhand smoke caused 603,000 deaths globally — about 1.0% of all deaths worldwide, with children accounting for 28% of those fatalities. Pooled data from 57 studies show that people exposed to secondhand smoke have a 1.28‑fold higher chance of developing hypertension, a 1.39‑fold higher risk of heart disease, a 1.50‑fold higher risk of myocardial infarction, and a 1.36‑fold higher risk of stroke compared to non‑exposed individuals. The risk is greater when exposure occurs at home rather than outside.
- Notes
- Focus on home environments first, since people spend more time there and pooled research indicates that indoor secondhand smoke is more harmful than outdoor exposure. Children bear 61% of the overall health burden caused by secondhand smoke. For personal smoking cessation, see item 1 in this section.
Sources · 2
- Öberg M, Jaakkola MS, Woodward A, Peruga A, Prüss-Ustün A (2011). Worldwide burden of disease from exposure to second-hand smoke: a retrospective analysis of data from 192 countries. Lancet：「603,000 deaths were attributable to second-hand smoke in 2004, which was about 1·0% of worldwide mortality. 47% of deaths from second-hand smoke occurred in women, 28% in children, and 26% in men」，「61% of DALYs were in children」. doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61388-8
- (2026). The Associations Between Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Various Cardiovascular Diseases: A Meta-Analysis. Nicotine & Tobacco Research：57 项研究，「hypertension (OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.15 to 1.40), heart disease (OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.28 to 1.50), myocardial infarction (OR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.17 to 1.84), stroke (OR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.18 to 1.54)」「Home exposure has a higher risk of CVD than non-home exposure」. doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntaf111