Vital Signs: Nonsmokers' Exposure to Secondhand Smoke --- United States, 1999—2008.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Posted by: Natalia Gromov
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MMWR Weekly. 2010, Sept. 10;59(35):1141-1146. Available online at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5935a4.htm?s_cid=mm5935a4_e.
This article reviewed National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 1999-2008 to determine the proportion of the nonsmoking population with exposure to secondhand smoke as measured by serum cotinine levels greater or equal than 0.05 ng/mL. Results showed that during 2007-2008, approximately 88 million non-smokers over the age of 3 were exposed to secondhand smoke. The percentage declined from 52.5% in 1999-2000 to 40.1% during 2007-2008. For every period throughout the study, prevalence was highest among males, non-Hispanic blacks, children (ages 3-11), and youths (ages 12-19), and those in households below the federal poverty level. The authors conclude that while secondhand smoke exposure has declined, progress in reducing exposure has slowed, and disparities in exposure persist, with children being among the most exposed.
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