Even when parents do not smoke themselves, the poison of secondhand smoke enters their children’s bodies. Secondhand smoke means that even if a person does not smoke, smoke from someone nearby using cigarettes, bidis, or other tobacco products enters their lungs. In primary schools across the city, 92% of children tested showed high levels of nicotine in their saliva, indicating exposure to secondhand smoke. A study titled “The Effect of Adult Smoking Behavior on Children’s Exposure to Secondhand Smoke” found that children in major South Asian cities are heavily exposed to secondhand smoke. Published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research, the study stated that secondhand smoke exposure among children is extremely widespread.

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 21, 2026 18:15 UTC