Updated June 09, 2015.

Secondhand smoke is a toxic melting pot of poisons and carcinogens, and more people than ever before believe this to be true. However, according to Robert McMillen, MD, many parents still expose their children to secondhand smoke at home on a regular basis. Dr. McMillen is an Associate Research Professor at the Social Science Research Center ( SSRC ), headed by Art Cosby.

Dr. McMillen presented his findings to the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) in San Francisco in his report, "Changes from 2000 to 2005 in U.S. Adult Attitudes and Practices Regarding Children's Exposure to Secondhand Smoke".

The paper summarizes his comprehensive 2000 National Social Climate Survey of Tobacco Control.

"The vast majority of adults in 2005 - 97 percent - recognized the dangers of exposure to secondhand smoke from parental smoking," said McMillen. "Yet, a tenth of households - 10 percent - allow indoor smoking in the presence of children."

Over the course of six summers from 2000 - 2005, Dr. McMillen and his team of researchers conducted telephone surveys that coincided with the implementation of several state and national tobacco control programs. The surveys included national probability samples of adults from all 50 states, and had a response rate of 75 - 87 percent. Their reported results are encouraging.

Support for smoking bans increased overall in these areas:

• Shopping Malls - 71 to 80 percent
• Restaurants - 61 to 71 percent
• Fast-food Restaurants - 77 to 82 percent
• Outdoor Parks - 25 to 39 percent
• Indoor Sporting Events - 78 to 82 percent

The team also found that public support for smoke free homes increased from 69 to 77 percent, along an increase from 79 to 90 percent of those in favor of smoking bans anywhere that children are present.

Actions taken by communities towards smoking bans increased as follows:

• Indoor Shopping Malls - 75 to 83 percent
• Convenience Stores - 68 to 80 percent
• Restaurants - 25 to 45 percent
• Fast-food Restaurants - 52 to 72 percent
• Outdoor Parks - 8 to 15 percent

Many of the people surveyed appeared to agree about the dangers of secondhand smoke, especially regarding children. The researchers found though, that awareness and actual practice vary considerably. "While they demonstrate significant improvement in many indicators of adult attitudes and practices, homes serve as settings for intense secondhand smoke exposure, and many public settings that children frequent still are not smoke free."

Public sentiment however, appears to be ripe for change. From Dr. McMillen: "A growing majority of adults in the U.S. favor restrictions on smoking in public settings, suggesting that many communities across the nation have the public support for much broader public smoking restriction policies."

Learn more about secondhand smoke:

• Secondhand Smoke Facts
• Kids and Secondhand Smoke
• Carbon Monoxide in Cigarette Smoke
• Hydrogen Cyanide in Cigarette Smoke