Exposure to second-hand smoke at home, 2012

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‘Passive smoking,’ or exposure to second-hand smoke, has negative respiratory health effects. Two of the most common associated diseases are lung cancer in adults and asthma among children.

The proportion of non-smokers aged 12 and older who were regularly exposed to second-hand smoke at home has decreased to 4.7% in 2012 from 5.5% in 2011.  This rate has declined significantly since 2003 when it was 10.6%.  The rate of exposure to second hand smoke at home was the same for both males and females in 2012 (Chart 1).

In 2012, 11.4% of young Canadians aged 12 to 19 were exposed to second-hand smoke at home—falling from 23.4% in 2003 (Chart 1). This age group is the most likely to be exposed to second hand smoke at home. Of the 1.1 million non-smoking Canadians aged 12+ who were regularly exposed to second-hand smoke at home, the 12 to 19 age group made up 30.4%.

Description for Chart 1

 Females aged 35 to 44 were significantly more likely than males to be exposed to second-hand smoke at home^{Note 1}; however, there was no significant difference between the sexes in other age groups (Chart 2).

Description for Chart 2

The proportion of residents who reported exposure to second-hand smoke at home was lower than the national average (4.7%) in:

• Ontario (4.2%)
• British Columbia (2.6%)

The proportion of residents who reported exposure to second-hand smoke at home was higher than the national average in:

• Prince Edward Island (8.6%)^{Note 2}
• Quebec (6.6%)
• Nunavut (11.3%)^{Note 2}

Residents of the other provinces^{Note 2} and of the Northwest Territories^{Note 2} had rates that were about the same as the national average^{Note 3}.

End notes

1. Note that males and females in the 35 to 44 age group had coefficients of variation between 16.6% and 33.3%; interpret with caution.
2. Note that the rates for Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut had coefficients of variation between 16.5% and 33.3%; interpret with caution.
3. The rate for Yukon had a coefficient of variation greater than 33.3%; this data is too unreliable to be published.

References

Shields, Margot. 2007. “Smoking—prevalence, bans and exposure to second-hand smoke.” Health Reports, 18(3): 67–85. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-003-x/2006007/article/smoking-fumer/10198-eng.pdf (accessed June 3, 2010)

Pérez, Claudio E. 2004. “Second-hand smoke exposure—who's at risk.” Health Reports, 16(1): 9–17. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/studies-etudes/82-003/archive/2004/7037-eng.pdf (accessed June 3, 2010)

Bearer C. 1995. “Environmental health hazards: how children are different from adults.” The Future of Children:Critical Issues for Children and Youths. Vol. 5. no. 2. pp11-26. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1602354 (accessed May 15, 2013).

Data

Additional data from the Canadian Community Health Survey are available from CANSIM table 105–0501.