Believing Secondhand Cannabis Smoke Is Harmful Was Strongly Linked to Home Smoking Bans | Research

The takeaway

In a nationally representative US survey of over 21,000 adults, those who perceived secondhand cannabis smoke as "extremely harmful" had 6 times higher odds of completely banning cannabis smoking in their home.

Public health campaigners, cannabis policy advocates, and families

6x higher odds of home ban when secondhand cannabis smoke perceived as extremely harmful

What the researchers found

Those who perceived secondhand cannabis smoke as "extremely harmful" had 6x higher odds of a complete home smoking ban (OR=6.0) compared to those rating it "totally safe." Even moderate harm perception ("somewhat harmful") was associated with 2.6x higher odds of a ban. Despite this, nearly 29% of Americans rated secondhand cannabis smoke as at least "mostly safe."

Why it matters

With 72% of respondents reporting a complete home ban, indoor cannabis smoking norms are already shifting. But nearly 29% thinking it is at least "mostly safe" represents a large population that could be reached with public health messaging to reduce residential secondhand exposure.

The numbers in context

21,381 adults. 71.8% had complete home ban. 33.0% rated cSHS "extremely harmful," 38.3% "somewhat harmful," 20.5% "mostly safe," 8.0% "totally safe." Extremely harmful vs totally safe: OR=6.0 (CI: 4.9-7.2). Somewhat harmful: OR=2.6. Mostly safe: OR=1.4.

How the study worked

Cross-sectional survey of 21,381 US adults from the Marijuana Use and Environmental Survey (Dec 2019-Feb 2020). Logistic regression estimated associations between perceived harm levels and complete home smoking bans, with stratification by smoking status, state legalization, and presence of young children.

What this study cannot tell us

Cross-sectional design cannot prove perception causes ban adoption. Self-reported home bans may not reflect actual behavior. Survey conducted before COVID-19 may not reflect current patterns. Convenience of the survey platform may introduce selection bias.

How to read the evidence

Large nationally representative sample with dose-response relationship, though cross-sectional design limits causal inference.

When this study was published

2024 study using 2019-2020 data

The bigger picture

The dose-response relationship between harm perception and home bans parallels what happened with tobacco. As public awareness of secondhand tobacco smoke harms grew, indoor smoking bans followed. This study suggests the same trajectory is possible for cannabis.

Questions still open

Would targeted public health campaigns about secondhand cannabis smoke change behavior? Do home smoking bans actually reduce household member exposure? How have patterns changed since 2020?

Common questions

Do people ban cannabis smoking in their homes?

Yes. About 72% of US adults reported a complete ban on cannabis smoking in their home. The ban was strongly linked to how harmful people perceived secondhand cannabis smoke to be.

How many Americans think secondhand cannabis smoke is safe?

About 29% rated secondhand cannabis smoke as at least "mostly safe." These individuals were far less likely to ban cannabis smoking in their homes.

Read the original research

Perception of harm is strongly associated with complete ban on in-home cannabis smoking: a cross-sectional study.

BMC public health, 24(1), 669

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Tripathi, Osika; Parada, Humberto; Shi, Yuyan; Matt, Georg E; Quintana, Penelope J E; Liles, Sandy; Bellettiere, John. (2024). Perception of harm is strongly associated with complete ban on in-home cannabis smoking: a cross-sectional study.. BMC public health, 24(1), 669. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18072-1