AUTHOR=Kulkarni Shweta Vishwas , Xangsayarath Phonepadith , Douangvichith Daovieng , Siengsounthone Latsamy , Phandouangsy Khatthanaphone , Tran Ly Thi-Hai , Le Phuc Hong , Bui Thanh Cong 

TITLE=Secondhand Smoke Exposure in Lao People’s Democratic Republic: Results From the 2015 National Adult Tobacco Survey

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 66 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2021.1604436

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2021.1604436

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=Objectives: Second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure causes >600,000 deaths annually worldwide, however, information regarding SHS exposure in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PRD) is limited; we report SHS exposure prevalence at home, in workplaces, and in public spaces in Lao PDR.
Methods: Data were from the 2015 Lao National Adult Tobacco Survey, a nationally representative sample of 7562 participants aged ≥15 years recruited through a stratified 2-stage cluster sampling approach. 
Results: 88.3% (83.9% of non-smokers) reported SHS exposure at home and 63.0% (54.0% of non-smokers) at workplaces. Among non-smokers, women had greater exposure at home than men (86.6% vs. 77.0%). Lower education levels associated with exposure at home or workplace. 99.2% reported SHS exposure at any public place; specifically for restaurants/food stores 57.7%, government offices 56.2%, public transport 31.6%, and health care facilities 11.7%. 
Conclusion: SHS exposure at home and workplace in Lao PDR is among the highest in South East Asia. Comprehensive smoke-free policies at government-owned workplaces and facilities, stricter enforcement of these smoke-free policies, and strategies to encourage smoke-free environments at homes and in public places are urgently needed.