{"id":29519,"date":"2026-09-13T08:51:03","date_gmt":"2026-09-13T05:51:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/?p=29519"},"modified":"2026-09-13T08:51:03","modified_gmt":"2026-09-13T05:51:03","slug":"pasyvne-kurinnia-smerti-doslidzhennia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/analitika\/pasyvne-kurinnia-smerti-doslidzhennia\/","title":{"rendered":"Other people\u2019s cigarettes kill too: second-hand smoke claims 1.66 million lives a year"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Second-hand smoke remains one of the most underestimated global health threats. A new analysis from the Global Burden of Disease 2023, published in The Lancet Public Health, has shown that in 2023, approximately 2.71 billion people \u2013 effectively one in three people on the planet \u2013 regularly breathed in second-hand smoke. Researchers attribute this exposure to 1.66 million premature deaths and the loss of nearly 45 million healthy life years. Women and children are the hardest hit.<\/p>\n<div class=\"news-summary-box\"><strong>Briefly about the main points<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>In 2023, around 2.71 billion people were exposed to second-hand smoke.<\/li>\n<li>Among them are approximately 767 million children under the age of 15.<\/li>\n<li>Researchers link passive smoking to 1.66 million deaths a year.<\/li>\n<li>Ischaemic heart disease accounts for the greatest burden amongst adults.<\/li>\n<li>In children, it is the lower respiratory tract that is most severely affected.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\" data-section-id=\"it8va6\" data-start=\"1104\" data-end=\"1168\">The scale is greater than it seems: a third of humanity is exposed to second-hand smoke<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"1170\" data-end=\"1522\">The study covered <strong data-start=\"1190\" data-end=\"1217\">204 countries and territories<\/strong> and tracked trends from 1990 to 2023. The researchers used data from population surveys, information on household composition and statistical modelling to estimate how many non-smokers are regularly exposed to second-hand smoke and the associated burden of disease.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1524\" data-end=\"1816\">In 2023, there were approximately <strong data-start=\"1563\" data-end=\"1576\">2.71 billion<\/strong>. Of these, approximately <strong data-start=\"1593\" data-end=\"1628\">767 million \u2014 children aged 0\u201314<\/strong>. According to the data presented in the publications reporting the study\u2019s findings, among those exposed to second-hand smoke, there were also around <strong data-start=\"1758\" data-end=\"1777\">1.49 billion women<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1818\" data-end=\"2098\">The prevalence of passive smoking is particularly high <a href=\"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/suspilstvo\/riven-kurinnia-shvetsiia-3-7-vidsotka\/\">smoking<\/a> remains in South-East and East Asia and Oceania \u2014 around <strong data-start=\"1932\" data-end=\"1951\">48.41 TP3T of the population<\/strong> after adjusting for age. In some countries, women are affected almost 1.8 times more often than men.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2100\" data-end=\"2374\">This is an important point: second-hand smoke is often perceived as a minor inconvenience \u2014 a smell in the room, smoke on the balcony or a few minutes spent near a smoker. In reality, at a population level, it is a risk factor that results in millions of deaths and tens of millions of years of life lost to illness.<\/p>\n<h2 data-section-id=\"1a9jjts\" data-start=\"2376\" data-end=\"2408\">What do 1.66 million deaths mean?<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"2410\" data-end=\"2734\">In the study, passive smoking was attributed to approximately <strong data-start=\"2460\" data-end=\"2492\">1.66 million deaths in 2023<\/strong>, with a range of statistical uncertainty of approximately 1.33 to 2.07 million. Furthermore, it was associated with <strong data-start=\"2601\" data-end=\"2619\">44.8 million DALYs<\/strong> \u2014 years of healthy life lost due to premature death or disability.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2736\" data-end=\"2835\">It is important to understand that this does not mean that \u00abpassive smoking\u00bb is listed on all 1.66 million death certificates.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2837\" data-end=\"3120\">The GBD uses a risk assessment model. Researchers take the link established in the scientific literature between exposure to tobacco smoke and certain diseases, assess the level of exposure among the population, and then calculate what proportion of deaths could statistically be attributed to this factor specifically.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3122\" data-end=\"3322\">In other words, it is more correct to say <strong data-start=\"3148\" data-end=\"3227\">\u00abdeaths associated with passive smoking\u00bb or \u00abattributable to passive smoking\u00bb<\/strong>, rather than claiming that every single death was unequivocally caused solely by someone else\u2019s cigarette.<\/p>\n<h2 data-section-id=\"v20h2n\" data-start=\"3324\" data-end=\"3369\">It is not just the lungs that bear the brunt of it<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"3371\" data-end=\"3493\">Intuitively, it might seem that the main danger of passive smoking is lung cancer. But global data paint a different picture.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3495\" data-end=\"3733\">The greatest overall burden of disease associated with second-hand smoke falls on <strong data-start=\"3584\" data-end=\"3610\">coronary heart disease<\/strong>. That alone accounted for around <strong data-start=\"3640\" data-end=\"3682\">12 million years of healthy life lost<\/strong> in 2023.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3735\" data-end=\"4119\">A previous large-scale analysis, published in *Nature Medicine*, also demonstrated a link between second-hand smoke and coronary heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, COPD, asthma and other conditions. According to the authors\u2019 conservative estimate, exposure to second-hand smoke increased the risk of coronary heart disease by at least approximately 8%, and the risk of stroke by 5%.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4121\" data-end=\"4297\">The reason is that the components of tobacco smoke do not just affect the lungs. They damage blood vessels, contribute to inflammation, and affect blood clotting and the cardiovascular system.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4299\" data-end=\"4473\">The WHO notes that tobacco smoke contains thousands of chemicals, dozens of which are carcinogens, and <strong data-start=\"4398\" data-end=\"4434\">There is no such thing as a safe level of exposure<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2 data-section-id=\"ha3zwy\" data-start=\"4475\" data-end=\"4521\">A stranger\u2019s cigarette is particularly dangerous for children<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"4523\" data-end=\"4603\">Children account for almost a third of all people exposed to second-hand smoke.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4605\" data-end=\"4743\">Their bodies are particularly vulnerable due to their smaller lung capacity, higher respiratory rate relative to body weight, and immature immune systems.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4745\" data-end=\"4912\">In the new work, it is precisely <strong data-start=\"4765\" data-end=\"4801\">lower respiratory tract infections<\/strong> accounted for the greatest burden of disease among children \u2014 approximately <strong data-start=\"4855\" data-end=\"4873\">5.16 million DALYs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4914\" data-end=\"5273\">There is an important clarification regarding reports widely circulated in the media. Some publications have reported \u00ab5.2 million cases of infection\u00bb, but the original summary of the study in *The Lancet* states that <strong data-start=\"5093\" data-end=\"5185\">5.16 million DALYs \u2014 years of healthy life lost due to lower respiratory tract infections<\/strong>, rather than simply the number of cases.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5275\" data-end=\"5336\">The figure of \u00ab5.2 million cases\u00bb should therefore be treated with caution.<\/p>\n<h2 data-section-id=\"61dkvu\" data-start=\"5338\" data-end=\"5389\">Why is second-hand smoke not \u00absafer\u00bb?\u00bb<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"5391\" data-end=\"5539\">A passive smoker inhales a mixture of two types of smoke: that exhaled by the smoker, and what is known as <strong data-start=\"5476\" data-end=\"5493\">side smoke<\/strong>, which comes directly from a smouldering cigarette.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5541\" data-end=\"5788\">It is this last component that is particularly important, as it does not pass through the cigarette filter. The authors of the new study emphasise that it may contain high concentrations of toxic and carcinogenic substances.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5790\" data-end=\"5927\">Therefore, the argument \u00abI don\u2019t smoke near my child, I just stand by the window\u00bb does not guarantee that there will be no exposure if the smoke drifts back into the room.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5929\" data-end=\"6037\">Similarly, an open window, an extractor fan or a passageway to another room do not make an enclosed space completely safe.<\/p>\n<h2 data-section-id=\"vzq1du\" data-start=\"6039\" data-end=\"6095\">The proportion of passive smokers is falling, but the number of people is not decreasing<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"6097\" data-end=\"6152\">At first glance, the world seems to be moving in the right direction.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6154\" data-end=\"6321\">Since 1990, the age-standardised proportion of the population exposed to second-hand smoke has fallen by approximately <strong data-start=\"6271\" data-end=\"6280\">22,2%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6323\" data-end=\"6372\">However, the absolute number of people has remained virtually unchanged.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6374\" data-end=\"6686\">The reason is global population growth and the deteriorating situation in certain regions. In sub-Saharan Africa, the number of people exposed to second-hand smoke has risen by almost <strong data-start=\"6567\" data-end=\"6576\">98,5%<\/strong>, whilst in North Africa and the Middle East \u2014 by approximately <strong data-start=\"6636\" data-end=\"6645\">72,1%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6688\" data-end=\"6886\">This is the main paradox of the modern fight against tobacco: the percentage of people exposed to second-hand smoke is gradually falling, but due to demographic trends, the total number of people inhaling second-hand smoke remains enormous.<\/p>\n<h2 data-section-id=\"1jvalt0\" data-start=\"6888\" data-end=\"6922\">Why do women suffer the most?<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"6924\" data-end=\"7059\">In many countries, men smoke considerably more often than women. As a result, a woman may not smoke herself, but may live alongside a smoker for years.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"7061\" data-end=\"7187\">This is particularly true of regions where <a href=\"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/economics\/nikotynovi-pauchi-rynok-regulyuvannya\/\">smoking<\/a> It is less common amongst women, whilst men smoking at home remains the norm.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"7189\" data-end=\"7342\">The researchers state explicitly that passive smoking remains <strong data-start=\"7247\" data-end=\"7301\">an underestimated risk factor for women\u2019s health<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"7344\" data-end=\"7522\">The problem is also that smoking bans work well in restaurants, offices and on public transport, but are far less effective at protecting people in their own homes.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"7524\" data-end=\"7728\">Consequently, following the introduction of smoke-free legislation, the home is increasingly becoming one of the main sources of influence on children. The WHO has previously drawn attention to this issue.<\/p>\n<h2 data-section-id=\"ql6991\" data-start=\"7730\" data-end=\"7766\">What is the situation regarding passive smoking in Ukraine?<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"7768\" data-end=\"7818\">For Ukraine, the issue also remains a pressing one.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"7820\" data-end=\"7976\">According to the 2023 Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), among Ukrainian teenagers <strong data-start=\"7911\" data-end=\"7975\">Aged 13\u201315: 24.9% reported being exposed to tobacco smoke at home<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"7978\" data-end=\"8125\">More <strong data-start=\"7981\" data-end=\"7990\">36,2%<\/strong> were subjected to it in enclosed public places, and <strong data-start=\"8039\" data-end=\"8084\">44.2% \u2014 in open public spaces<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"8127\" data-end=\"8255\">In other words, even with smoking restrictions in place, a significant proportion of children in Ukraine continue to be regularly exposed to second-hand smoke.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"8257\" data-end=\"8353\">And this clearly illustrates why the problem cannot be solved simply by putting up a \u00abNo smoking\u00bb sign in a restaurant.<\/p>\n<h2 data-section-id=\"19g2yxc\" data-start=\"8355\" data-end=\"8401\">The laws are in place, but that is not enough for the time being<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"8403\" data-end=\"8645\">According to a new analysis, approximately <strong data-start=\"8439\" data-end=\"8538\">70%: The world\u2019s population is still not fully protected by comprehensive smoke-free environment legislation<\/strong>. As of 2024, 79 countries met the WHO\u2019s highest standards.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"8647\" data-end=\"8824\">At the same time, the proportion of the world\u2019s population covered by comprehensive smoke-free legislation has risen from approximately <strong data-start=\"8748\" data-end=\"8783\">3% in 2007 to 33% in 2024<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"8826\" data-end=\"8865\">In other words, there has been significant progress, but it is not enough.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"8867\" data-end=\"9155\">The authors of the study believe that bans on smoking in public places alone are not enough. They call for these to be combined with higher tobacco taxes, marketing restrictions, plain packaging and support programmes for those wishing to give up smoking.<\/p>\n<h2 data-section-id=\"hchkd7\" data-start=\"9157\" data-end=\"9168\">Conclusion.<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"9170\" data-end=\"9243\">A new study is changing the way we should view passive smoking.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"9245\" data-end=\"9536\">This is not simply a case of someone finding it unpleasant to sit next to a smoker. According to GBD estimates, in 2023, people were exposed to second-hand smoke <strong data-start=\"9372\" data-end=\"9391\">2.71 billion people<\/strong>, and the associated burden amounted to <strong data-start=\"9428\" data-end=\"9495\">1.66 million deaths and nearly 45 million years of healthy life lost<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"9538\" data-end=\"9683\">The greatest proportion of harm is caused not only by cancer, but also by cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Children and women remain particularly vulnerable.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"9685\" data-end=\"9920\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\">And the main conclusion here is as simple as it gets: <strong data-start=\"9730\" data-end=\"9804\">For a person to be harmed by a cigarette, they do not necessarily have to smoke it themselves<\/strong>. The WHO explicitly states that there is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u041f\u0430\u0441\u0438\u0432\u043d\u0435 \u043a\u0443\u0440\u0456\u043d\u043d\u044f \u0437\u0430\u043b\u0438\u0448\u0430\u0454\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f \u043e\u0434\u043d\u0456\u0454\u044e \u0437 \u043d\u0430\u0439\u0431\u0456\u043b\u044c\u0448 \u043d\u0435\u0434\u043e\u043e\u0446\u0456\u043d\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0445 \u0433\u043b\u043e\u0431\u0430\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0438\u0445 \u0437\u0430\u0433\u0440\u043e\u0437 \u0437\u0434\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0432\u2019\u044e. \u041d\u043e\u0432\u0438\u0439 \u0430\u043d\u0430\u043b\u0456\u0437 Global Burden of Disease 2023, \u043e\u043f\u0443\u0431\u043b\u0456\u043a\u043e\u0432\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0439 \u0443 The Lancet Public Health, \u043f\u043e\u043a\u0430\u0437\u0430\u0432: \u0443 2023 \u0440\u043e\u0446\u0456 \u0442\u044e\u0442\u044e\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0438\u043c \u0434\u0438\u043c\u043e\u043c \u0456\u043d\u0448\u0438\u0445 \u043b\u044e\u0434\u0435\u0439 \u0440\u0435\u0433\u0443\u043b\u044f\u0440\u043d\u043e \u0434\u0438\u0445\u0430\u043b\u0438 \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0431\u043b\u0438\u0437\u043d\u043e 2,71 \u043c\u043b\u0440\u0434 \u043b\u044e\u0434\u0435\u0439 \u2014 \u0444\u0430\u043a\u0442\u0438\u0447\u043d\u043e \u043a\u043e\u0436\u0435\u043d \u0442\u0440\u0435\u0442\u0456\u0439 \u0436\u0438\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c \u043f\u043b\u0430\u043d\u0435\u0442\u0438. \u0414\u043e\u0441\u043b\u0456\u0434\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0438 \u043f\u043e\u0432\u2019\u044f\u0437\u0443\u044e\u0442\u044c \u0446\u0435\u0439 \u0432\u043f\u043b\u0438\u0432 \u0456\u0437 1,66 \u043c\u043b\u043d \u043f\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0434\u0447\u0430\u0441\u043d\u0438\u0445 \u0441\u043c\u0435\u0440\u0442\u0435\u0439 \u0456 \u0432\u0442\u0440\u0430\u0442\u043e\u044e \u043c\u0430\u0439\u0436\u0435 [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":207433346,"featured_media":29520,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_description":"\u041f\u0430\u0441\u0438\u0432\u043d\u0435 \u043a\u0443\u0440\u0456\u043d\u043d\u044f \u0449\u043e\u0440\u043e\u043a\u0443 \u043f\u043e\u0432\u2019\u044f\u0437\u0443\u044e\u0442\u044c \u0456\u0437 1,66 \u043c\u043b\u043d \u0441\u043c\u0435\u0440\u0442\u0435\u0439. \u041d\u043e\u0432\u0435 \u0434\u043e\u0441\u043b\u0456\u0434\u0436\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044f \u043f\u043e\u043a\u0430\u0437\u0430\u043b\u043e, \u0449\u043e \u0447\u0443\u0436\u0438\u043c \u0434\u0438\u043c\u043e\u043c \u0440\u0435\u0433\u0443\u043b\u044f\u0440\u043d\u043e \u0434\u0438\u0445\u0430\u044e\u0442\u044c 2,71 \u043c\u043b\u0440\u0434 \u043b\u044e\u0434\u0435\u0439.","rank_math_title":"\u041f\u0430\u0441\u0438\u0432\u043d\u0435 \u043a\u0443\u0440\u0456\u043d\u043d\u044f \u0432\u0431\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0454 1,66 \u043c\u043b\u043d \u043b\u044e\u0434\u0435\u0439 \u043d\u0430 \u0440\u0456\u043a ","rank_math_focus_keyword":"\u041f\u0430\u0441\u0438\u0432\u043d\u0435 \u043a\u0443\u0440\u0456\u043d\u043d\u044f","td_subtitle":"","subtitle":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[806792],"tags":[806775],"class_list":["post-29519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-analitika","tag-806775"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/207433346"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29519"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29519\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29522,"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29519\/revisions\/29522"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29520"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}