There is an analysis of the prevalence of passive smoking, occupational hazards, exposure to biomass smoke in the home as a risk factors for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among the population aged 35-70 years of St. Petersburg on the basis of the results of the first phase of an epidemiological study RESPECT (RESearch on the PrEvalence and the diagnosis of COPD and its Tobacco-related aetiology). High prevalence of passive smoking was found among persons those aged older than 35 years, who are exposed to over 10 years in childhood and adolescence. They were accounted 43,5% (95% CI 41,4-45,7%). Overall, the prevalence of second-hand smoke among people older than 18 years more than 10 years was found 32,8% (95% CI 30,834,9%). Among them, women were significantly more exposed to the secondary effects of tobacco in the home than men (36,9 and 23,9%, respectively, p < 0,001). In opposite, men significantly more often than women exposed to environmental tobacco smoke at work (25,0 and 11,6%, respectively, p < 0,001). The proportion of participants who had never smoked, exposed to passive smoking more than 1 hour per week during the last week before the survey, was 22,4%. Never smoked persons with higher education less exposed anywhere (home or work) second-hand smoke (OR = 0,59, 95% CI 0,44-0,80). Over a quarter of the participants were exposed to of professional risk factors more than one year: 27,5% of dust at work (95% CI 25,5-29,6%); 23,7% gaz or chemical vapors/fumes (95% CI 21,8-25,7%).