Passive smoking caused 1.66 million deaths globally in 2023
A new study in The Lancet Public Health highlights the widespread impact of secondhand smoke on non-smokers.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Passive smoking caused 1.66 million deaths globally in 2023
Photograph: Euro Weekly News (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Passive smoking was responsible for 1.66 million deaths globally in 2023, according to a study in The Lancet Public Health.
- Globally, 2.71 billion non-smokers were exposed to tobacco smoke in 2023, including 767 million children aged 14 and under.
- Heart disease was the leading cause of death from passive smoking, accounting for approximately 537,000 fatalities.
- In Spain, about half of non-smokers are exposed to tobacco smoke in outdoor leisure areas, such as terraces.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 34 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 54 of the 88 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
42/100
Craft
61/100
Hype
41/100
88 sources · methodology
A study published in The Lancet Public Health reported that passive smoking caused 1.66 million deaths worldwide in 2023. The research indicated that 2.71 billion non-smokers were exposed to tobacco smoke globally in the same year. Children aged 14 and under represented 767 million of those exposed. Heart disease was identified as the primary cause of death linked to passive smoking, with an estimated 537,000 fatalities, followed by chronic lung disease and stroke.
The study, which analysed data from 1990 to 2023 across 204 countries and territories, found that lung cancer was not the leading cause of death from passive smoking, ranking fifth with approximately 161,000 deaths. The illnesses attributed to passive smoke cost 44.8 million years of healthy life. In Spain, research from the Spanish Society of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery found that approximately half of non-smokers are exposed to tobacco smoke on terraces and in outdoor leisure areas. A separate Spanish study linked second-hand smoke to 4,970 deaths from heart disease and lung cancer between 2016 and 2021.
Disagreement on exposure decrease
Cubadebate and Prensa Latina reported that there was a 22.2 percent decrease in the number of passive smokers, while other reports did not mention this figure.
Omissions in coverage
None of the right-rated digests mention the specific breakdown of deaths by cause (heart disease, chronic lung disease, stroke, lung cancer) that was detailed in the Euro Weekly News full report. None of the centre-rated digests mention the specific breakdown of deaths by cause. None of the left-rated digests mention the specific breakdown of deaths by cause, with the exception of Euro Weekly News which provided this detail in its full report.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 5 times, most recently on 8 Sept 2026, 18:00, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
8 rated outlets
- Left-rated reports focused on the global death toll and the number of people exposed to passive smoke. Euro Weekly News, in its full report, detailed the situation in Spain, noting that half of non-smokers are exposed on terraces and in outdoor leisure areas. It also highlighted that a government bill to extend smoke-free rules to terraces and other public spaces was still awaiting parliamentary approval. Liberation and La Presse reported the 1.6 million death figure and the 2.7 billion exposed, with La Presse also mentioning the increasing prevalence in Africa and the Middle East. El Pais stated that tobacco causes more than 1.6 million deaths of passive smokers every year and that the percentage of people exposed recedes but still affects more than 2.7 billion people. HuffPost It mentioned that tobacco remains a main cause of disease and that many non-smokers exposed to passive smoke were part of an estimated 8 million people who died in 2023 for smoking-related diseases.
Centre
12 rated outlets
- Centre-rated reports highlighted the overall global figures for deaths and exposure. TVN, Lietuvos Radijas ir Televizija, Medical Xpress, Jornal Expresso, and Leprogrès all reported that nearly 1.7 million people died and over 2.7 billion were exposed, including 767 million children. Euronews specifically noted that 2.7 billion people were exposed, with 767 million being children, and stated that second-hand smoke causes serious health harm and is a leading cause of preventable death. Jornal Expresso also mentioned that in children, exposure caused 5.16 million respiratory infections.
Right
14 rated outlets
- Right-rated reports focused on the headline figures of deaths and exposure. Vz.ru and Kurier reported that passive smoking resulted in more than 1.6 million deaths in 2023. Kurier also noted that 767 million children were exposed. Kronen Zeitung stated that 1.7 million people died and over 2.7 billion were exposed, including 767 million children, and that among the estimated eight million people who died in 2023 due to tobacco smoke worldwide, a portion were passive smokers. Iefimerida reported that 2.71 billion people were exposed, including 1.49 billion women and 767 million children under 15, and that second-hand smoke was responsible for 1.66 million deaths. India Today provided a specific figure for India, stating that 325,600 deaths were linked to second-hand smoke in 2023 and that exposure prevalence fell even as the number exposed rose to 444 million. Jyllands-Posten reported that passive smoking contributed to 1.7 million deaths in 2023 and that researchers called for stricter regulations on smoking in public places. Protothema reported that 2.7 billion people worldwide are exposed, including 1.49 billion women and 767 million children under 15.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Passive smoking caused 1.66 million deaths globally in 2023?
- Of the 34 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 19% are rated left, 39% are rated centre, 42% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 88. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Passive smoking caused 1.66 million deaths globally in 2023 left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 34 rated outlets on this story, 19% are rated left, 39% are rated centre, 42% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Passive smoking caused 1.66 million deaths globally in 2023 biased?
- Passive smoking caused 1.66 million deaths globally in 2023 is one event reported by 88 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which outlets covered Passive smoking caused 1.66 million deaths globally in 2023?
- 88 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- How many people died globally due to passive smoking in 2023?
- According to a study published in The Lancet Public Health, passive smoking caused 1.66 million deaths worldwide in 2023. This figure represents fatalities among non-smokers exposed to tobacco smoke.
- How many people were exposed to passive smoke globally in 2023?
- The study found that 2.71 billion non-smokers were exposed to tobacco smoke globally in 2023. This includes a significant number of children.
- What were the main causes of death from passive smoking?
- Heart disease accounted for the largest number of deaths from passive smoking, with approximately 537,000 fatalities. Chronic lung disease and stroke followed, with lung cancer ranking fifth among the causes.
- What is the situation regarding passive smoking in Spain?
- In Spain, research indicates that about half of non-smokers are exposed to tobacco smoke in outdoor leisure areas like terraces. A Spanish study also linked second-hand smoke to nearly 5,000 deaths from heart disease and lung cancer between 2016 and 2021.
Read it at the source
88 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
8- Second-hand smoke causes to nearly 1.7M deaths globally – study (opens Inquirer in a new tab)
- Second-Hand Smoke Is Still Killing 1.7 Million People Every Year (opens Gizmodo in a new tab)
- Half of Spain’s non-smokers breathe terrace smoke as 1.6 million die each year (opens Euro Weekly News in a new tab)
Euro Weekly News — is Euro Weekly News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- More than 1.6 Million Passive Smoking Deaths in 2023 (opens Liberation in a new tab)
Liberation — is Liberation biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Nearly Two Million People Died of Passive Smoking in 2023 (opens HuffPost It in a new tab)
HuffPost It — is HuffPost It biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Passive Smoking Was Responsible for 1.7 Million Deaths Worldwide in 2023, According to a Large-Scale Study (opens Le Temps in a new tab)
- According to a Study on Passive Smoking Responsible for More than 1.6 Million Deaths Worldwide in 2023 (opens La Presse in a new tab)
- Tobacco Causes More than 1.6 Million Deaths of Passive Smokers Every Year (opens El Pais in a new tab)
Centre
12- Passive Smoking Caused Nearly 1.7 Million Deaths in the World, According to Study (opens TVN in a new tab)
- Study: Nearly 1.7 Million People Died From Secondhand Smoke in 2023 (opens Lietuvos Radijas ir Televizija in a new tab)
- Second-hand smoke causes nearly 1.7M deaths globally: Study (opens Medical Xpress in a new tab)
Medical Xpress — is Medical Xpress biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Passive Smoking Affects More than 2 Billion People and Is Responsible for 1.66 Million Deaths (opens Jornal Expresso in a new tab)
Jornal Expresso — is Jornal Expresso biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Health. Passive Smoking: More than 1.6 Million Deaths Worldwide, According to a Study (opens leprogres.fr in a new tab)
leprogres.fr — is leprogres.fr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Health. Passive Smoking: More than 1.6 Million Deaths Worldwide, According to a Study (opens ledauphine.com in a new tab)
ledauphine.com — is ledauphine.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Second-hand smoke: 2.7 billion exposed, 767 million of them children, study finds (opens Euronews in a new tab)
- Cigarettes: Passive Smoking Caused More than 1.6 Million Premature Deaths Worldwide in 2023 (opens Sud Ouest in a new tab)
Show 4 more
- New Study Shocks: 1.7 Million Dead (opens Ekstra Bladet in a new tab)
Ekstra Bladet — is Ekstra Bladet biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Nearly 1.7 million deaths linked to second-hand smoke in 2023, study finds (opens France24 in a new tab)
- Some 2.7 Billion People Are Passive Smokers in the World (opens Hola News in a new tab)
- Passive smoking causes roughly 1.7m deaths a year, report finds (opens dailymail.com in a new tab)
dailymail.com — is dailymail.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
14- ‘Secondhand smoke causes 1.7M deaths’ (opens The Manila Times in a new tab)
The Manila Times — is The Manila Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Lancet: Passive Smoking Resulted in More than 1.6 Million Deaths in 2023 (opens vz.ru in a new tab)
- Passive Smoking: Almost 1.7 Million Deaths in 2023 (opens Kurier in a new tab)
- 1.7 Million People Died of Passive Smoking in 2023 (opens Kronen Zeitung in a new tab)
Kronen Zeitung — is Kronen Zeitung biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Passive Smoke Exposed 2.7 Billion People and Contributed to 1.66 Million Deaths in One Year, Says Study (opens Globo in a new tab)
- "Bell" Study on Passive Smoking: 2.7 Billion People Worldwide Are Exposed - iefimerida.gr (opens Iefimerida in a new tab)
Iefimerida — is Iefimerida biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Passive smoking killed 3.25 lakh Indians in 2023, up 50% since 1990: Lancet (opens India Today in a new tab)
India Today — is India Today biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 2.7 Billion People Worldwide Are Exposed to Secondhand Smoke, New Study Finds (opens Protothema in a new tab)
Protothema — is Protothema biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 6 more
- Passive Smoking Contributed to 1.7 Million Deaths in 2023 (opens Jyllands-Posten in a new tab)
Jyllands-Posten — is Jyllands-Posten biased? Our profile of this outlet
- About 2.7 Billion People Worldwide Are Passive Smokers, According to Study (opens Sapo in a new tab)
- Passive Smoking Contributed to 1.7 Million Deaths in 2023 (opens BT in a new tab)
- Study links second-hand smoke to nearly 1.7 million deaths globally (opens Free Malaysia Today News in a new tab)
Free Malaysia Today News — is Free Malaysia Today News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Second-hand smoke causes nearly 1.7 million deaths globally: Study (opens The Straits Times in a new tab)
The Straits Times — is The Straits Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Passive smoking deaths up 50% since 1990: Lancet (opens Times of India in a new tab)
Times of India — is Times of India biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
54- Smoke without Choice: Passive Smoking Caused Nearly 1.7 Million Deaths Worldwide (opens Life.ru in a new tab)
- Tobacco Smoke Caused 1.66 Million Deaths in Non-Smokers in 2023 (opens Cubadebate in a new tab)
Cubadebate — is Cubadebate biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Second-hand smoke linked to 1.7 million deaths globally, study finds (opens African News Agency in a new tab)
African News Agency — is African News Agency biased? Our profile of this outlet
- One Third of People on Earth Turned Out to Be Passive Smokers in 2023. (opens nplus1.ru in a new tab)
- Premature Deaths of People Exposed to Passive Smoking Reach 1.6 Mi in 2023 (opens infomoney.com.br in a new tab)
infomoney.com.br — is infomoney.com.br biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 1.6 Million Passive Smokers Die in the World - Noticias Prensa Latina (opens prensa-latina.cu in a new tab)
prensa-latina.cu — is prensa-latina.cu biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Secondhand Smoke: Nearly 1.7 Million Deaths in One Year — 767 Million Children Exposed - PatrisNews - Patris Ilia Newspaper (opens PatrisNews in a new tab)
PatrisNews — is PatrisNews biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Nearly 1.7 Million People Will Die From Passive Smoking in 2023 (opens Haberler in a new tab)
Show 46 more
- Study: Nearly 1.7 Million People Died From Secondhand Smoke in a Year (opens lrytas.lt in a new tab)
- Nearly 1.7 Million People Died in 2023 From the Effects of Secondhand Smoke (opens iatronet.gr in a new tab)
iatronet.gr — is iatronet.gr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Some 2.7 Billion People Are Passive Smokers in the World (opens 14ymedio.com in a new tab)
14ymedio.com — is 14ymedio.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Study: 2.7 Billion People Worldwide Are Exposed to Secondhand Smoke (opens dnews.gr in a new tab)
- Increasing Risk of Passive Smoking in India, the Situation Worsened After 1990, Deaths Increased Steadily (opens Unknown in a new tab)
Unknown
- Secondhand smoke threatens the health of 2.7 billion people worldwide, including 767 million children — study (opens asiaplus.news in a new tab)
asiaplus.news — is asiaplus.news biased? Our profile of this outlet
- New Study on Smoking: By 2023, Almost 1.7 Million People Worldwide Will Have Died From the Effects of Passive Smoking (opens rtl.lu in a new tab)
- Passive Smoking Caused Nearly 1.7 Million Deaths in the World, According to Study (opens udgtv in a new tab)
- Passive Smoking Reaches 2.7 Billion People and Kills 1.66 Million per Year, Reveals Study (opens aeiou.pt in a new tab)
- Tobacco Killed 1.6 Million Non-Consumers in 2023, Despite 22 per Cent Fewer Passive Smokers than in 1990 (opens diarioestrategia.cl in a new tab)
diarioestrategia.cl — is diarioestrategia.cl biased? Our profile of this outlet
- That Doesn't Mean You're Safe. (opens AlJadeed.tv in a new tab)
AlJadeed.tv — is AlJadeed.tv biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Second-hand smoke kills 1.66 million people as billions remain exposed (opens Briefly in a new tab)
- Passive Smoking Caused Almost 1.7 Million Deaths, Says Study - 08/09/2026 - Balance and Health (opens Folha de S.Paulo in a new tab)
Folha de S.Paulo — is Folha de S.Paulo biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Passive Smoking, More Toxic than Active Smoking? Study: Secondary Smoking Contributed to 1.66 Million Deaths in a Single Year (opens zugo.md in a new tab)
- Almost 1.7 Million Deaths in a Year Due to Passive Smoking (opens suedtirolnews.it in a new tab)
suedtirolnews.it — is suedtirolnews.it biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 1.7 Million Deaths Due to Passive Smoking 2023 (opens vienna.at in a new tab)
- Approximately 2.7 Billion People Worldwide Are Victims of Secondhand Smoke, According to a Study. (opens Publico in a new tab)
- 2.7 Billion People Breathe Smoke From Others (opens Le Singulier in a new tab)
Le Singulier — is Le Singulier biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Passive Smoking, More Toxic than Active Smoking? What Is Secondary Smoking and Why It Affects Our Health (opens Mediafax in a new tab)
- One-in-four Irish people exposed to second-hand smoke (opens Irish Medical Times in a new tab)
Irish Medical Times — is Irish Medical Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- At Least 2.7 Billion People Are Exposed to Passive Smoking (opens Unknown in a new tab)
Unknown
- Passive Smoking Caused Nearly 1.7 Million Deaths Worldwide: Study (opens El Economista in a new tab)
El Economista — is El Economista biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Passive Smoking: Almost 1.7 Million Deaths in One Year – 767 Million Children Exposed (opens ertnews.gr in a new tab)
ertnews.gr — is ertnews.gr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Health. Passive Smoking: More than 1.6 Million Deaths Worldwide, According to a Study (opens vosgesmatin.fr in a new tab)
vosgesmatin.fr — is vosgesmatin.fr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Health. Passive Smoking: More than 1.6 Million Deaths Worldwide, According to a Study (opens republicain-lorrain.fr in a new tab)
republicain-lorrain.fr — is republicain-lorrain.fr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Health. Passive Smoking: More than 1.6 Million Deaths Worldwide, According to a Study (opens lejsl.com in a new tab)
- Health. Passive Smoking: More than 1.6 Million Deaths Worldwide, According to a Study (opens lalsace.fr in a new tab)
lalsace.fr — is lalsace.fr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Health. Passive Smoking: More than 1.6 Million Deaths Worldwide, According to a Study (opens estrepublicain.fr in a new tab)
estrepublicain.fr — is estrepublicain.fr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Health. Passive Smoking: More than 1.6 Million Deaths Worldwide, According to a Study (opens bienpublic.com in a new tab)
bienpublic.com — is bienpublic.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 767 Million Children Under 15 Were Exposed to Secondhand Smoke in 2023 (opens flash.gr in a new tab)
- About 2.7 Billion People Around the World Are Passive Smokers (opens Correio da Manhã in a new tab)
Correio da Manhã — is Correio da Manhã biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Second-Hand Smoke Linked to Nearly 1.7 Million Deaths Worldwide (opens Philippine News in a new tab)
Philippine News — is Philippine News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- RAINEWS * HEALTH: "FUMO PASSIVO, IL DATO SHOCK DI LANCET: 1,7 MILLION OF DEAD IN 2023" - Journalist Agency Opinion. News From Italy - World / Trentino Alto Adige (opens Agenzia giornalistica Opinione in a new tab)
- About 2.7 Billion People Worldwide Are Passive Smokers, According to Study (opens SIC Notícias in a new tab)
SIC Notícias — is SIC Notícias biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Passive Røyking Medvirket Til at Nesten 1.7 Millioner Døde I 2023 (opens dolen.no in a new tab)
dolen.no
- "There Is No Safe Inhalation Threshold": Passive Smoking Responsible for More than 1.6 Million Deaths Worldwide, Reveals a Study (opens nicematin.com in a new tab)
nicematin.com — is nicematin.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Study Reveals that About 2.7 Billion People Around the World Are Passive Smokers (opens IOL Portugal in a new tab)
IOL Portugal — is IOL Portugal biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Scientific Study Window: Passive Smoking Kills About 2 Million People a Year. (opens nafeza2world.com in a new tab)
nafeza2world.com — is nafeza2world.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Horrifying Number: 1.7 Million Have Lost Their Lives because of This (opens Presse-fotos.dk in a new tab)
Presse-fotos.dk — is Presse-fotos.dk biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Some 2.7 Billion People Are Passive Smokers in the World (opens El Carabobeño in a new tab)
El Carabobeño — is El Carabobeño biased? Our profile of this outlet
- New Research: Passive Smoking Causes Nearly 1.7 Million Deaths. (opens Thanh Niên in a new tab)
Thanh Niên — is Thanh Niên biased? Our profile of this outlet
- New Study Reveals that at Least 2.7 Billion People Are Passive Smokers in the World (opens Monitoreamos in a new tab)
Monitoreamos — is Monitoreamos biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Passive Smoking: 1.6 Million Deaths Worldwide in 2023 (opens RTS in a new tab)
- Smoke From Foreign Tobacco Affects More than 2.7 Billion People and Causes 1.66 Million Deaths a Year in the World (opens EL NACIONAL in a new tab)
EL NACIONAL — is EL NACIONAL biased? Our profile of this outlet
- About 2.7 Billion People Are Passive Smokers in the World - Information Focus (opens focoinformativo.site in a new tab)
focoinformativo.site — is focoinformativo.site biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Some 2.7 Billion People Are Passive Smokers in the World (opens Telemundo de Puerto Rico in a new tab)
Telemundo de Puerto Rico — is Telemundo de Puerto Rico biased? Our profile of this outlet
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