Americans living in apartments and condominiums use tobacco products at higher rates and are less likely to have smoke-free home rules than those living in single-family residences, placing apartment dwellers at higher risk for secondhand smoke exposure, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine.
For the study, researchers analyzed data from the 2013-2014 National Adult Tobacco Survey. The analysis revealed that approximately 20 percent of adults living in multiunit housing used combustible tobacco products. In single-family housing, the rate was about 14 percent. Researchers also found that 34 percent of multiunit residents who adhere to their own smoke-free home rules had been recently exposed to second-hand smoke either via smoke entering their living unit or exposure in shared living areas.
"The surgeon general has concluded there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke," said Brian King, PhD, deputy director of research translation in the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health and a co-author of the study. "Exposure to secondhand smoke from cigarettes causes more than 41,000 deaths among nonsmoking adults each year, and about $5.6 billion annually in lost productivity caused by premature death."
The study's authors suggested implementing mandatory, smoke-free building policies to protect residents.