Millions report secondhand cannabis smoke exposure at home in the U.S. and Canada
About one in five residents across the U.S. and Canada reported exposure to secondhand cannabis smoke at home, with about one in four multi-unit housing residents reporting cannabis smoke entering from other units.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Monthly secondhand cannabis smoke exposure at home was reported by 16.9% in Canada, 20.6% in U.S. legal states, and 15.5% in U.S. illegal states. Among multi-unit housing residents, 25.7% in Canada, 26.6% in U.S. legal states, and 20.1% in U.S. illegal states reported smoke incursions from other units or outdoors.
Key Numbers
33,024 respondents for home exposure analysis. 15,634 multi-unit housing residents for incursion analysis. Exposure rates: 15.5-20.6% for home exposure, 20.1-26.6% for multi-unit housing incursions.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional survey from the 2019 International Cannabis Policy Study with 33,024 respondents for home exposure and 15,634 multi-unit housing residents for incursion analysis. Weighted logistic regression assessed associated factors.
Why This Research Matters
As cannabis legalization expands, involuntary exposure to secondhand cannabis smoke in shared housing is a growing public health concern that existing smoke-free policies may not adequately address.
The Bigger Picture
The similar incursion rates across legal and illegal jurisdictions suggest that secondhand cannabis smoke is a widespread issue regardless of legalization status, though rates were modestly higher in legal states.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Self-reported exposure without biomarker verification. Cross-sectional design captures one time point. Cannot distinguish between occasional and heavy exposure.
Questions This Raises
- ?Do cannabis-specific smoke-free policies reduce multi-unit housing exposure?
- ?Are there health effects from chronic, involuntary secondhand cannabis smoke exposure?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- ~25% of multi-unit housing residents report cannabis smoke incursions
- Evidence Grade:
- Large international survey with appropriate statistical methods, though reliant on self-report and cross-sectional design.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2022 using 2019 survey data.
- Original Title:
- Prevalence and factors associated with self-reported exposure to secondhand cannabis smoke in the United States and Canada in 2019.
- Published In:
- Preventive medicine, 157, 107006 (2022)
- Authors:
- Driezen, Pete(7), Kaufman, Pamela(2), Chaiton, Michael(4), Goodman, Samantha, Hammond, David
- Database ID:
- RTHC-03819
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Is secondhand cannabis smoke worse in states where it's legal?
Rates were modestly higher in U.S. legal states (20.6% at home, 26.6% in multi-unit housing) compared to illegal states (15.5% and 20.1%), but exposure was common everywhere.
Who was most affected?
Multi-unit housing residents reporting smoke incursions appeared to live in qualitatively different housing than those not reporting incursions, suggesting housing quality and type influence exposure risk.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-03819APA
Driezen, Pete; Kaufman, Pamela; Chaiton, Michael; Goodman, Samantha; Hammond, David. (2022). Prevalence and factors associated with self-reported exposure to secondhand cannabis smoke in the United States and Canada in 2019.. Preventive medicine, 157, 107006. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107006
MLA
Driezen, Pete, et al. "Prevalence and factors associated with self-reported exposure to secondhand cannabis smoke in the United States and Canada in 2019.." Preventive medicine, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107006
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Prevalence and factors associated with self-reported exposur..." RTHC-03819. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/driezen-2022-prevalence-and-factors-associated
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.