Second-Hand Smoke Is Still Killing 1.7 Million People Every Year

A new study across 204 countries finds that nearly 3 billion people are still routinely exposed to second-hand smoke, which is linked to roughly 1.7 million deaths a year. That scale suggests decades of indoor smoking bans and tobacco control efforts have left large populations unprotected, keeping passive smoking a major global public health burden rather than a solved problem.

• About 3 billion people are still regularly exposed to second-hand smoke.
• Second-hand smoke exposure is associated with roughly 1.7 million deaths annually.
• The findings span 204 countries, pointing to a global gap in smoke-free protections.