Does smoking on the balcony protect people indoors?
Short answer
Smoking on a balcony reduces exposure without removing it. Smoke returns on air currents, and residue comes back indoors on the smoker's clothing, hair and hands. Ventilation dilutes smoke rather than removing what has settled into curtains, chairs and mattresses. The only complete answer is no smoke.
Key points
- A balcony reduces exposure but does not remove it.
- Residue returns indoors on clothing and hair.
- Ventilation does not deal with smoke already settled on surfaces.
- WHO states there is no safe level of exposure.
What the balcony does not solve
Smoking on the balcony is a genuine improvement on smoking in the living room. It is not a solution.
Smoke comes back in on air currents, through open doors and gaps. And even with no air movement, residue settles on the smoker’s clothing, hair and hands, and comes inside with them.
Why ventilation is not enough
Opening a window and running a fan deals with smoke currently in the air.
Neither deals with what has settled into curtains, sofas, mattresses, carpet and walls. That is why a room still smells the next day.
The worst case
Cars. A sealed, very small space with a lot of fabric surface in a small volume. Concentrations are far higher than in a room.
The figures in Vietnam
According to GATS Vietnam, published by WHO, 45.6 percent of adults are still exposed to secondhand smoke, down from 73.1 percent in 2010.
2021 figures from the Vietnam Tobacco Control Fund put 33 million people exposed inside their own homes. Public places have rules and enforcement. Homes do not.
The only complete answer
No smoke. If you want to stop, the quitline is 1800 6606, free, 08:00 to 22:00 daily.
Common questions
- Is an extractor fan enough?
- A fan moves smoke elsewhere in the same home and dilutes what is airborne. It does not deal with residue already in fabric and walls, and it does not remove exposure.
- What about closing the door?
- Smoke travels through gaps and on air currents between rooms. Residue also settles on the smoker's clothing and hair, so it leaves the room with them.
Sources for this article
- Tobacco fact sheetWHO
- GATS VietnamWHO
- 2021 figuresVietnam Tobacco Control Fund
- Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms (2012)National Assembly of Vietnam