Let us not forget the mental anguish of those suffering from residential second-hand smoke

October 10 is World Mental Health Day.  Instead of discussing mental health in abstraction, I would like to highlight the mental health anguish of non-smokers held captive by residential second-hand smoke, especially during this pandemic, where working from home and home-based learning are almost a default.

Studies have documented the mental health toll exacted on adults, adolescents and children by second-hand smoke. 

In a large study of adults in China, while the background prevalence of mental distress is 25 per cent among non-smokers, 65 per cent of the mentally distressed non-smokers reported exposure to passive smoking, also known as second-hand smoke (1).  The researchers concluded that passive smoking is an important risk factor for non-smokers’ mental distress. (1) 

In another study in the US among children and adolescents, major depressive disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder were found to be positively associated with serum cotinine level - a metabolite of nicotine in the blood indicative of second-hand smoke exposure. (2). 

These findings are hardly surprising.  The harm of cigarette smoke by now is common knowledge. 

Here in Singapore, second-hand smoke no doubt exacerbates the intense stress which our young are already experiencing from our high-pressure education system.

For someone who is trapped in his or her own home with neighbours’ second-hand smoke, the thought of the cigarette smoke slowing killing them over time, in addition to the physical effects like respiratory symptoms and asthma attacks, which they might have already experienced, is distressing enough.

While we urge all to pay attention to one another’s mental health on World Mental Health Day, I appeal to the government to take decisive and meaningful action to protect long suffering non-smokers from the scourge of residential second-hand smoke on this high-density living island.

References:

1.    (1)Association between passive smoking and mental distress in adult never-smokers: a cross-sectional study (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4985981/)

“The estimated prevalence of mental distress among never-smokers in Jilin province is 24.5%, and the estimated prevalence of passive smoking among the mental distressing group is 65.0%.”

“Passive smoking is an important risk factor for mental distress in never-smokers of Jilin province, which reminds Chinese government of increasing the awareness of public health and take measure to prevent SHS, especially with regard to SHS exposure at home and workplace.”

(2)Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Mental Health Among Children and Adolescents (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3075798/)    

“Among nonsmokers, serum cotinine level was positively associated with symptoms of DSM-IV major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and conduct disorder after adjusting for survey design, age, sex, race/ethnicity, poverty, migraine, asthma, hay fever, maternal smoking during pregnancy, and allostatic load. Associations with serum cotinine level were more apparent for boys and for participants of non-Hispanic white race/ethnicity.”