Perceptions about the harm of secondhand smoke exposure among U.S. middle and high school students: findings from the 2012 National Youth Tobacco Survey

Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) from burning tobacco products causes disease and premature death among nonsmokers [1]. There is no risk-free level of SHS exposure, and even brief exposure can cause immediate harm [1]. During 2007–2008, approximately 88 million U.S. nonsmokers aged ≥3 years were exposed to SHS; among those aged 12–19 years, 46.5% (13 million) were exposed to SHS [2].

Increased knowledge of the harmful effects of SHS exposure is an evidence-based key indicator for eliminating nonsmokers’ exposure to SHS [3]. The continuum of change associated with eliminating nonsmokers’ exposure to SHS typically starts with increasing people’s knowledge of the hazards of exposure to SHS, changing their attitudes toward the acceptability of exposing nonsmokers to SHS, and enhancing their favorability toward smoke-free environments. Such changes can lead to increases in the adoption of, and compliance with, smoke-free environments as people become more conscious of the public health benefits of smoke-free air [3]. Parental attitudes and awareness toward SHS and its risks are associated with SHS exposure among youth [4], and greater perceptions of risk from SHS exposure among youth can reduce their likelihood of smoking initiation [5]. Although previous research suggests that a vast majority (95%) of U.S. adults recognize the hazards of youth exposure to SHS [6], no study has examined perceptions about the harm of SHS exposure among a representative sample of U.S. youth. Therefore, we assessed the prevalence and predictors of perceptions about the harm of SHS exposure among a nationally representative sample of U.S. middle and high school students who completed the 2012 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS).

Among all respondents, 4.7% reported that SHS exposure causes “no harm”, 19.9% reported SHS exposure causes “little harm,” 38.7% reported SHS exposure causes “some harm”, and 36.7% reported SHS exposure causes “a lot of harm” (Table 1). The prevalence of perceiving that SHS exposure causes “no harm” was significantly higher among boys (6.1%) than girls (3.3%), among non-Hispanic blacks (6.0%), Hispanics (6.3%), and non-Hispanic American Indians/Alaska Natives (10.9%) than non-Hispanic whites (3.6%), among those who used combustible tobacco only (9.1%) or both combustible and non-combustible tobacco (19.6%) than those who used no tobacco products (3.3%), and among those who lived with a tobacco user (6.3%) than those who did not (3.3%); no difference was observed by grade level. The prevalence of perceiving that SHS exposure causes “a lot of harm” was significantly higher among girls (38.7%) than boys (34.7%), among Hispanics (39.5%), non-Hispanic Asians (46.0%), and non-Hispanic Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders (47.6%) than non-Hispanic whites (34.7%), and among those who used no tobacco products (38.4%) than those who used combustible tobacco only (28.5%) or both combustible and non-combustible tobacco (24.1%); no difference was observed by grade level or whether a tobacco user lived in the home.

The adjusted odds of perceiving that breathing SHS causes “some” or “a lot of” harm was significantly higher among non-Hispanic Asians (odds ratio [OR]=1.43, 95% CI=1.15-1.78), and among students in 10^th (OR=1.36, 95% CI=1.14-1.61), 11^th (OR=1.49, 95% CI=1.23-1.82), and 12^th (OR=1.69, 95% CI=1.38-2.08) grades (Table 2). The odds were lower among boys (OR=0.72, 95% CI=0.66-0.77), among non-Hispanic blacks (OR=0.83, 95% CI=0.74-0.93), among students who lived with a tobacco user (OR=0.81, 95% CI=0.75-0.87), and among those who used combustible tobacco only (OR=0.51, 95% CI=0.45-0.57) or both combustible and non-combustible tobacco products (OR=0.31, 95% CI=0.26-0.36).

This study is the first to assess the prevalence and predictors of SHS harm perceptions among a nationally representative sample of U.S. youth. The findings reveal that approximately three-quarters of U.S. middle and high school students perceive that SHS causes “some” or “a lot of” harm, but disparities in perceptions exist across subpopulations. Following multivariate adjustment, the perception that SHS causes harm was lower among boys, non-Hispanic blacks, those living with a tobacco user, exclusive combustible tobacco users, and concurrent users of combustible and non-combustible tobacco products.

These findings underscore the need for efforts to enhance knowledge of the hazards of SHS exposure among U.S. youth. Such efforts could include the expansion of smoke-free environments and public education campaigns on the hazards of SHS. Considerable progress has been made in increasing the number of U.S. states with comprehensive smoke-free policies that prohibit tobacco smoking in all indoor areas of worksites and public places, including restaurants and bars [8]. As of June 2013, 26 States and the District of Columbia had implemented comprehensive smoke-free policies and almost half (49.0%) of U.S. residents were covered by such policies at the state or local level [9, 10]. Implementing comprehensive smoke-free policies is associated with more favorable attitudes toward the elimination of SHS exposure among adults, including smokers, and enhanced adoption of voluntary smoke-free home rules [11, 12]. Similarly, youth living in communities with smoke-free laws and in households with voluntary smoke-free rules perceive smoking as less socially acceptable and are less likely to become established smokers [12]. In addition to the creation of smoke-free environments, education campaigns focused toward both adults and youth can help inform the public about the adverse health effects of SHS exposure [1]. For example, in 2012, the Centers for Disease Control aired “Tips from Former Smokers”, a nationwide paid-media campaign that featured real people suffering as a result of smoking and SHS exposure [13].

Strengths of this study include a large, nationally representative sample of middle and high school students and the ability to assess variations in perceptions across multiple subpopulations. However, the study is subject to at least two limitations. First, data were collected from youth enrolled in traditional middle or high schools and may not be representative of all youth. However, 98.5% of U.S. youth aged 10–13 years and 97.1% of those 14–17 years were enrolled in a traditional school in 2011 [14]. Second, data were self-reported and subject to potential recall or response bias.

In conclusion, this study reveals that most U.S. middle and high school students perceive SHS as harmful, but efforts are needed to increase this knowledge among certain subpopulations, particularly tobacco users and those living with a tobacco user. Efforts to enhance knowledge of the hazards of SHS exposure could include expanding smoke-free environments and public education campaigns on the adverse health effects of SHS, which in turn may promote anti-smoking norms, reduce smoking, and improve health among U.S. youth.