Secondhand smoke exposure in 5 ASEAN countries- results from the global adult tobacco survey

Background Globally, secondhand smoke (SHS) causes approximately 600,000 premature deaths per year. Understanding the patterns of SHS exposure in countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) can inform policy makers to develop appropriate policies/programs in the region to save lives.

Methods GATS is a nationally representative household survey of adults aged 15+ years, using a standard protocol to ensure comparability across countries. Prevalence of SHS exposure is examined in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam.

Results GATS results show that in the workplace, SHS exposure was highest in Viet Nam (55.9%) and lowest in Thailand (27.2%). At home, the percentage of those exposed to SHS was highest in Indonesia (78.4%) and lowest in Thailand (33.2%). In government buildings, SHS exposure ranged from 13.0% (Thailand) to 63.4% (Indonesia). At healthcare facilities, Thailand (4.8%) had the lowest exposure rate and Viet Nam (23.6%) the highest. The percentage of SHS exposure ranged from 33.6% (Philippines) to 85.4% (Indonesia) in restaurants. On public transportation, those exposed was highest in Indonesia (70.0%) and lowest in Thailand (21.6%). The percentage of current tobacco smokers ranged from 23.1% (Malaysia) to 34.8% (Indonesia). The percentage of respondents supporting smoke-free environments was generally high in the countries analyzed (data not available for Indonesia).

Conclusion SHS exposure poses a serious problem whether it is at public places, workplace, or home. Public support is one of the vital tools in influencing policy makers in ASEAN to promote comprehensive smoke-free public places and de-normalize the smoking culture in homes.