Passive smoking disproportionately harms women and children

Passive smoking causes heart disease, respiratory illness and lung cancer

The WHO commissioned a study which reported its conclusions in late 2010.Its research indicated that passive smoking causes deaths from heart disease, lower respiratory infections, asthma and from lung cancer.  Ultimately, the research found that passive smoking is responsible for around 1% of deaths worldwide.

Women were found to die in larger proportions than men or children: 47% of females died compared to 28% of children and 26% of men. Fewer women smoke than men and they are more likely to be exposed to second-hand smoke.

It was found that children, being unable to escape second-hand smoke at home, are more likely than adults to suffer health damage from passive smoking. Not only were they were found to suffer a range of respiratory conditions, the lungs of children who breathe in passive smoke may also develop more slowly than children who grow up in smoke-free homes.

The authors of the report concluded that “there can be no question that the 1.2 billion smokers in the world are exposing billions of non-smokers to second-hand smoke, a disease-causing indoor air pollutant.” (World Health Organisation 2010)

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