Exposure to secondhand smoke in homes and vehicles among US Youths, United States, 2011-2019

Abstract

In this study, we report the prevalence of self-reported secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in homes and vehicles among US middle and high school students in 2019 and changes in SHS exposure over time. Data were from 7 years of the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS; 2011, 2013, and 2015-2019). In 2019, 25.3% (an estimated 6.7 million) of students reported home SHS exposure and 23.3% (6.1 million) reported vehicle SHS exposure. Home and vehicle SHS exposure significantly declined during 2011 through 2018, except for home exposure among non-Hispanic black students. Implementation of smoke-free policies in public and private settings can reduce SHS exposure. Objective The adverse health effects of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure from combustible tobacco products are well established (1); there is no risk-free level of SHS exposure (2). Smoke-free policies can reduce SHS exposure and prevent tobacco use initiation and promote cessation of tobacco use. Although progress has been made in enacting comprehensive smoke-free indoor air laws in public settings, private settings such as homes and vehicles remain major sources of exposure for some populations, including youths. In this article, we report the prevalence of self-reported SHS exposure in homes and vehicles among US youths in 2019 and changes in SHS exposure during 2011 through 2018. Methods Data were from the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS), a cross-sectional, self-administered survey of US middle (grades 6-8) and high school (grades 9-12) students attending public and private schools. NYTS applies a stratified, 3-stage cluster sample design to produce a nationally representative sample of this population. Seven years of NYTS data (2011, 2013, and 2015-2019) were used. Because of a change in the mode of survey administration in 2019 (3), we were unable to compare 2019 results with previous years. Sample sizes ranged from 17,711 in 2015 to 20,675 in 2016, and response rates ranged from 63.4% in 2015 to 72.7% in 2011. SHS exposure-related outcome data were not available in 2012 and 2014.