BMJ  2005;330:812 (9 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.38370.496632.8F (published 1 March 2005)

Paper

Estimate of deaths attributable to passive smoking among UK adults: database analysis

¹ School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland 4006, Australia

Objective To estimate deaths from passive smoking in employees of the hospitality industry as well as in the general workforce and general population of the United Kingdom.

Design Calculation, using the formula for population attributable proportion, of deaths likely to have been caused by passive smoking at home and at work in the UK according to occupation. Sensitivity analyses to examine impact of varying assumptions regarding prevalence and risks of exposure.

Setting National UK databases of causes of death, employment, structure of households, and prevalences of active and passive smoking.

Main outcome measures Estimates of deaths due to passive smoking according to age group (< 65 or 65) and site of exposure (domestic or workplace).

Results Across the United Kingdom as a whole, passive smoking at work is likely to be responsible for the deaths of more than two employed people per working day (617 deaths per year), including 54 deaths in the hospitality industry each year. Each year passive smoking at home might account for another 2700 deaths in persons aged 20-64 years and 8000 deaths among people aged 65.

Conclusion Exposure at work might contribute up to one fifth of all deaths from passive smoking in the general population aged 20-64 years, and up to half of such deaths among employees of the hospitality industry. Adoption of smoke free policies in all workplaces and reductions in the general prevalence of active smoking would lead to substantial reductions in these avoidable deaths.

Related Articles

Smoking in the home after the smoke-free legislation in Scotland: qualitative study

Richard Phillips, Amanda Amos, Deborah Ritchie, Sarah Cunningham-Burley, and Claudia Martin
BMJ 2007 335: 553. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Changes in exposure of adult non-smokers to secondhand smoke after implementation of smoke-free legislation in Scotland: national cross sectional survey

Sally J Haw and Laurence Gruer
BMJ 2007 335: 549. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Exempting mental health units from smoke-free laws

Jonathan Campion, Ann McNeill, and Ken Checinski
BMJ 2006 333: 407-408. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Antismoking groups lobby against Lords report

Lynn Eaton
BMJ 2006 332: 1410. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

The partial smoking ban in licensed establishments and health inequalities in England: modelling study

Alan A Woodall, Emma J Sandbach, Catherine M Woodward, Paul Aveyard, and Graham Merrington
BMJ 2005 331: 488-489. [Full Text] [PDF]

Passive smoking may kill 30 people a day in the UK
BMJ 2005 330: 0. [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Campion, J., Checinski, K., Nurse, J., McNeill, A. (2008). Smoking by people with mental illness and benefits of smoke-free mental health services. Adv. Psychiatr. Treat. 14: 217-228 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Lopez, M J, Perez-Rios, M, Schiaffino, A, Nebot, M, Montes, A, Ariza, C, Garcia, M, Juarez, O, Moncada, A, Fernandez, E (2007). Mortality attributable to passive smoking in Spain, 2002. Tobacco Control 16: 373-377 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Gan, Q., Smith, K. R, Hammond, S K., Hu, T.-w. (2007). Disease burden of adult lung cancer and ischaemic heart disease from passive tobacco smoking in China. Tobacco Control 16: 417-422 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Heidrich, J., Wellmann, J., Heuschmann, P. U., Kraywinkel, K., Keil, U. (2007). Mortality and morbidity from coronary heart disease attributable to passive smoking. Eur Heart J 28: 2498-2502 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Semple, S., Maccalman, L., Naji, A. A., Dempsey, S., Hilton, S., Miller, B. G., Ayres, J. G. (2007). Bar Workers' Exposure to Second-Hand Smoke: The Effect of Scottish Smoke-Free Legislation on Occupational Exposure. ANN OCCUP HYG 51: 571-580 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Phillips, R., Amos, A., Ritchie, D., Cunningham-Burley, S., Martin, C. (2007). Smoking in the home after the smoke-free legislation in Scotland: qualitative study. BMJ 335: 553-553 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Haw, S. J, Gruer, L. (2007). Changes in exposure of adult non-smokers to secondhand smoke after implementation of smoke-free legislation in Scotland: national cross sectional survey. BMJ 335: 549-549 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Semple, S., Creely, K. S, Naji, A., Miller, B. G, Ayres, J. G (2007). Secondhand smoke levels in Scottish pubs: the effect of smoke-free legislation. Tobacco Control 16: 127-132 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Campion, J., McNeill, A., Checinski, K. (2006). Exempting mental health units from smoke-free laws.. BMJ 333: 407-408 [Full text]  
• Eisner, M. D., Forastiere, F. (2006). Passive smoking, lung function, and public health.. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 173: 1184-1185 [Full text]  
• JOHNSSON, T., TUOMI, T., RIUTTALA, H., HYVARINEN, M., ROTHBERG, M., REIJULA, K. (2006). Environmental Tobacco Smoke in Finnish Restaurants and Bars Before and After Smoking Restrictions were Introduced. ANN OCCUP HYG 50: 331-341 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Astbury, N (2006). "Sight for more eyes". Br. J. Ophthalmol. 90: 531-532 [Full text]  
• Janson, C., Kunzli, N., de Marco, R., Chinn, S., Jarvis, D., Svanes, C., Heinrich, J., Jogi, R., Gislason, T., Sunyer, J., Ackermann-Liebrich, U., Anto, J. M., Cerveri, I., Kerhof, M., Leynaert, B., Luczynska, C., Neukirch, F., Vermeire, P., Wjst, M., Burney, P. (2006). Changes in active and passive smoking in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey.. Eur Respir J 27: 517-524 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Muir, M. (2006). Hygieia. J. Epidemiol. Community Health 60: 280-280 [Full text]  
• Gee, I. L., Watson, A. F. R., Carrington, J., Edwards, P. R., van Tongeren, M., McElduff, P., Edwards, R. E. (2006). Second-hand smoke levels in UK pubs and bars: do the English Public Health White Paper proposals go far enough?. J Public Health (Oxf) 28: 17-23 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Ford, J. A. (2005). Protecting workers in licensed premises from the effects of secondhand smoke. Occup Med (Lond) 55: 583-585 [Full text]  
• (2005). Study counts cost of passive smoking in UK. Occup. Environ. Med. 62: 687-687 [Full text]  
• Britton, J (2005). Passive smoking and asthma exacerbation. Thorax 60: 794-795 [Full text]  
• Woodall, A. A, Sandbach, E. J, Woodward, C. M, Aveyard, P., Merrington, G. (2005). The partial smoking ban in licensed establishments and health inequalities in England: modelling study. BMJ 331: 488-489 [Full text]  

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Belgian decree about tobacco in the workplace

Christophe De Brouwer
bmj.com, 4 Mar 2005 [Full text]

Estimated deaths from passive smoking invalid

Peter N Lee
bmj.com, 5 Mar 2005 [Full text]

Fatal Assumptions

Gio B. Gori
bmj.com, 7 Mar 2005 [Full text]

Passive smoking fatalities include children's deaths

Ellen C G Grant
bmj.com, 8 Mar 2005 [Full text]

Re: Estimated deaths from passive smoking invalid

Sarah M McGhee, et al.
bmj.com, 17 Mar 2005 [Full text]

Error in Passive Smoking Paper

Jonathan Fell
bmj.com, 21 Mar 2005 [Full text]

Re: Re: Estimated deaths from passive smoking invalid

Michael J. McFadden
bmj.com, 23 Mar 2005 [Full text]

Lies, bloody lies, poor statistics, mathematical models

Luc Bonneux
bmj.com, 8 Apr 2005 [Full text]

Passive smoking: Threat of lawsuit against smokers

Daniel K C Lee
bmj.com, 13 Apr 2005 [Full text]

Secondary Smoke, Alcohol, and Deaths...

Michael J. McFadden
bmj.com, 28 Apr 2005 [Full text]

Re: Error in Passive Smoking Paper

Jonathan Fell
bmj.com, 17 Jun 2005 [Full text]

Synopsis of Report

Alastair G Browne
bmj.com, 16 Apr 2006 [Full text]