The share of American nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke fell by half since 2000, from 53 percent to 25 percent, according to a new government report.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said during the period studied, a growing number of states and municipalities banned smoking in restaurants, bars and offices, and the number of Americans who smoked at home fell. The smoking rate has also declined, and smoking is now less acceptable in public, The New York Times reports.
An estimated one-fourth of American nonsmokers are still exposed to secondhand smoke, the CDC said. Secondhand smoke causes 41,000 deaths from lung cancer and heart disease, as well as 400 deaths from sudden infant death syndrome, according to health experts.