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African American People Need More Protection from Secondhand Smoke Exposure										Related Pages
										The CDC is focused on protecting all people from health risks—including secondhand smoke (SHS), or the smoke produced when commercial tobacco* is burned—where they work, live, and play. There is no safe level of exposure to SHS.47Smoke-free air policies are important because they protect people who do not smoke from secondhand smoke, motivate those who smoke to quit, and prevent people from starting to smoke. Right now, however, not everyone in the nation is equitably protected by commercial tobacco control policies. Of the 10 US states with the highest proportion of Black residents, 2 states have laws that prevent local communities from setting up stronger smoke-free policies and 5 states have laws that prevent local communities from setting up other commercial tobacco control policies.48,49
African American children and adults are more likely to be exposed to secondhand smoke than any other racial or ethnic group.50
African American people who don’t smoke generally have higher levels of cotinine (a chemical found in the body that means a person has been exposed to tobacco smoke) than people of other races/ethnicities who don’t smoke.50
During 2013–2014, secondhand smoke exposure among African American people was found in:50secondhand smoke for children age 3-11 was 66.1%, adolescents aged 12-19 55.3%, adults aged 20 years and older 45.5%
There are actions that can be taken to protect people from secondhand smoke. These include:
illustration of building with no smoking symbol
**Adopt and expand smoke-free home policies, while making support for people who want to quit smoking more available.** When landlords adopt smoke-free building policies, it protects tenants from secondhand smoke exposure and increases their chances of quitting tobacco long-term.51
**Let local communities create stronger smoke-free air policies.**In some states that do not have a statewide smoke-free policy, communities have put in place comprehensive smoke-free laws.52 However, 1 in 5 people who aren’t protected by a smoke-free policy live in a state that does not allow local communities to have their own smoke-free laws.53 Research has reported that, compared to other racial and ethnic groups, the proportion of non-Hispanic Black people protected by smoke-free laws is lower because they are more likely to live in Southern and Midwestern states (states where tobacco is grown and where there are fewer smoke-free laws).53 This 2013 study showed that only 41% of non-Hispanic Black people were covered by smoke-free restaurant and bar laws in the U.S. Letting local governments adopt smoke-free policies would let more communities protect residents from secondhand smoke.
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							Last Reviewed:  January 26, 2023						Source: 	Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
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