Secondhand Smoke Kills Over Half a Million a Year

Secondhand Smoke Numbers Staggering

Last week the World Health Organization released a, first of its kind, report estimating the amount of death and disease caused from secondhand smoke around the world. The data, gathered from 192 countries indicates that over 600,000 people, almost 1/3 of these being children under the age of 5, become seriously ill or die from the smoke.

According to the report, more than half of the deaths are from heart disease, followed by deaths from cancer, lung infections, asthma and other ailments.

Of the 165,000 children who have died as a result, about 60% live in Africa and Asia, where access to public health services, such as vaccines and advanced medical care are limited.

While the report is eye opening, many countries did not have to wait for this data to understand that secondhand smoke was a serious health issue. To date, over forty countries have some form of smoking regulations which limit or prohibit its use in public areas.