An international team of public health experts, led by the University of Stirling in collaboration with the Tobacco Control Unit of the Catalan Institute of Oncology and other institutions, has called for protecting children from second-hand smoke in their homes. They have done so through a commentary published in the distinguished journal BMJ Tobacco Control , where they highlight the urgent need to study the possibility of adopting legislative measures to prevent smoking in homes where minors live.
Evidence indicates that the concentration of secondhand smoke in homes is often significantly higher than in public spaces. As a result, children exposed to secondhand smoke at home face an increased risk of health complications , including respiratory infections, asthma exacerbations, and impaired lung development. Globally, exposure to secondhand smoke causes more than one million premature deaths per year. Exposure also disproportionately affects children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, exacerbating health inequalities at the national level.
The paper, which includes contributions from researchers Olena Tigova and Armando Peruga from the Tobacco Control Unit, proposes a range of policy changes, including the introduction of national targets to reduce second-hand smoke exposure among children, along with tailored interventions among vulnerable populations. “The evidence suggests that legislative measures would help make a real difference to this health problem. Banning smoking in the home could not only protect children’s health, but also change social norms around smoking indoors, as could bans on smoking in cars carrying children,” says lead author Professor Sean Semple, from the University of Stirling.
The authors also recommend the use of international data to track public support for home smoking bans at the local, national and global levels, and a revision of the current World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control guidelines to include private homes as a key setting for protection.
The document, which features contributions from international experts from across the UK, Europe and both South and North America, represents a global call to protect vulnerable populations through innovative, evidence-based policies.