Secondhand smoke linked to 1.7 million deaths worldwide
Researchers examined health data from 204 countries and territories between 1990 and 2023 and estimated that secondhand smoke exposure was associated with 1.66 million deaths and 44.8 million years of healthy life lost in 2023.
About 767 million children were among those exposed to secondhand smoke, highlighting the continuing health burden among younger populations.
Heart disease a major burden
Ischemic heart disease was the leading cause of death associated with secondhand smoke exposure among adults, the researchers found.
Among children, exposure was linked to an estimated 5.2 million cases of lower respiratory infections in 2023.
The study found that while the proportion of people exposed to secondhand smoke has fallen since 1990, the total number of people exposed has remained broadly stable because of global population growth.
Exposure has increased particularly in parts of Africa and the Middle East.
Researchers called for stronger tobacco-control measures to reduce exposure, particularly among women and children.
Smoking also affects fertility
The findings come as the World Health Organization warned that tobacco use can affect reproductive health in both women and men.
In a new knowledge summary, WHO said smoking is associated with infertility among women and can harm sperm quality and sexual function among men. Secondhand smoke may also reduce the chances of conceiving.
A review of research conducted between 2000 and 2026 found that women who currently smoke had a 40% higher risk of infertility than non-smokers. Women who had quit smoking had a 25% lower risk compared with those who continued to smoke.
Risks extend to men
For men, a review of 44 studies involving more than 60,000 people linked smoking to reproductive problems including abnormal semen, erectile dysfunction and ejaculation problems.
Smoking may also reduce the effectiveness of assisted reproductive treatments such as in vitro fertilization, with some research indicating that successful outcomes could be roughly halved.
WHO estimates that one in six people of reproductive age experience infertility at some point in their lives.
The latest findings underline the broad health effects associated with tobacco smoke, extending beyond smokers themselves to people exposed to smoke and those seeking to have children.
Source:AA
