What is secondhand smoke?
Short answer
Secondhand smoke is the smoke breathed in from someone else's cigarette, both what the smoker exhales and what rises from the burning tip. In Vietnam 45.6 percent of adults are still exposed, down from 73.1 percent in 2010. WHO states there is no safe level of exposure.
Key points
- It is both the exhaled smoke and the smoke rising from the burning tip.
- 45.6 percent of adults in Vietnam are still exposed, down from 73.1 percent in 2010.
- 33 million people breathe secondhand smoke inside their own homes.
- WHO states there is no safe level of exposure.
The definition
Secondhand smoke is a mixture of two things: the smoke a smoker breathes out, and the smoke rising straight off the burning tip between draws. Anyone nearby breathes in both.
Who is exposed, in Vietnam
According to GATS Vietnam, published by WHO, 45.6 percent of adults are still exposed to secondhand smoke. That is down from 73.1 percent in 2010, a large improvement over a little more than a decade.
2021 figures from the Vietnam Tobacco Control Fund put 33 million people breathing secondhand smoke inside their own homes.
Worldwide, WHO estimates that 1.6 million non-smokers die each year from secondhand smoke.
A safe level
WHO states it plainly: there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. That is unlike many other substances, where some level of exposure is considered acceptable.
Why ventilation does not solve it
Opening a window and running a fan dilutes smoke. It does not remove it. Residue settles into curtains, sofas, mattresses, hair and clothing, and stays there long after the cigarette is out. The smell in a room hours later is the evidence of it.
Smoking on the balcony or in a doorway reduces exposure without ending it. Smoke returns on air currents, and residue comes back inside on clothes and hair.
What actually changes it
One thing only: no smoke. Stopping is the only route that removes exposure completely for the people who live with you.
If you want to stop, the quitline is 1800 6606, free, run by the Respiratory Centre at Bach Mai Hospital, open 08:00 to 22:00 daily. We receive nothing from that call.
Common questions
- Is opening a window or running a fan enough?
- No. Ventilation dilutes smoke rather than removing it, and the residue still settles into curtains, chairs, hair and clothing. WHO states plainly that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.
- Does smoking on the balcony protect the people inside?
- Smoke and residue still travel back in on clothing, hair and air currents. The only thing that removes exposure completely for the people you live with is no smoke in or around the home.
Sources for this article
- GATS VietnamWHO
- 2021 figuresVietnam Tobacco Control Fund
- Tobacco fact sheetWHO
- Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms (2012)National Assembly of Vietnam