New data shows that those who live in apartments or condos are more likely to smoke cigarettes than people who live in single-family homes and are more likely to be exposed to secondhand smoke.
One-in-four (25%) adults living in multi-unit housing reported use of tobacco products, compared to one-in-five (19%) living in single homes, according to data from the 2013-2014 National Adult Tobacco Survey. About 20% of multi-unit dwelling adults reported use of combustible tobacco products, which are the main source of secondhand smoke, compared with 14% living in single-family homes.
One-in-three (34%) people who said they prohibited smoking in their own apartment or condominium reported exposure to secondhand smoke in their residence originating elsewhere in the building. Almost 8% reported that secondhand smoke entered their homes every day, and 9% reported exposure a few times a week, wrote the CDC’s Kimberly Nguyen, MS, MPH, and colleagues, in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
“The Surgeon General has concluded there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Opening windows or using ventilation systems does not effectively eliminate secondhand smoke exposure in multi-unit housing, said Brian King, PhD, of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, in a written press statement.
King noted that exposure to secondhand smoke has been shown to be responsible for 41,000 deaths among nonsmoking adults each year, while economic losses attributed to secondhand smoke exposure total about $5.6 billion annually in lost productivity.
