Some 2.7 billion people around the world exposed to secondhand smoke in 2023 

Nearly three billion people were exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS) globally in 2023, a study, published in the September 7 2026 edition of The Lancet Public Health journal has said.

While global exposure rates have declined since 1990, the number of people exposed has remained largely unchanged, the journal reported.

The study shows children accounted for more than 12 per cent of the health burden from SHS, with lower respiratory infections causing the greatest burden among children.