Overall Decline in US Secondhand Smoke Exposure, 2003 to 2018
Overall Decline in US Secondhand Smoke Exposure, 2003 to 2018, but Higher Levels for Children and for Men versus Women Caron KT, Zhu W, Bennert JT, et al. Geometric Mean Serum Cotinine (COT) Concentrations Confirm a Continued Decline in Secondhand Smoke Exposure among U.S. Nonsmokers-NHANES 2003 to 2018. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 May 11;19(10):5862.
Serum COT concentrations were significantly higher for children aged 3-5 years than in other age groups (p ≤ 0.0002), and men continued to have significantly higher serum COT concentrations than women (p = 0.0384). While there is no safe level of exposure to SHS, the overall decrease in serum COT concentrations in the U.S. population as well as across demographic groupings represents a positive public health outcome and supports the importance of comprehensive smoke-free laws and policies for workplaces, public places, homes, and vehicles to protect nonsmokers from SHS exposure.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35627398/
Stephen Hamann
