Third-Hand Smoke, New Cigarette Hazard

by Karenke4 | January 5, 2009 at 12:02 pm

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We've known the damage of first-hand smoke for years. And then there was the great second-hand smoke scare of the 90s. Now, in 2009 doctors and scientists are here to bring to your attention the dangers of third-hand smoke. It looks as though we are running out of hands.

Third-hand smoke is not actually smoke at all, but the residue that cigarette smoke leaves behind; on your clothes, hair, furniture and carpets. Cigarette smoke contains numerous chemicals that don't just float happily towards the heavens when you open the window or close the door. These chemicals eventually settle into the fibers that surround us, including our own clothes, hair and skin. A child crawling, for example, is at risk for coming in contact with these cancer causing chemicals as they explore their environment.

"When you come into contact with your baby, even if you're not smoking at the time, she comes in contact with those toxins. And if you breastfeed, the toxins will transfer to your baby in your breastmilk." Winickoff notes that nursing a baby if you're a smoker is still preferable to bottle-feeding, however.

The residue includes heavy metals, carcinogens and even radioactive materials that young children can get on their hands and ingest, especially if they’re crawling or playing on the floor.

Doctors and scientists have come up with the term “third-hand smoke” in order to bring public awareness to those harmful chemicals that we can't necessarily see.

It also will be important to incorporate knowledge about third-hand smoke contamination into current tobacco control campaigns, programs, and routine clinical practice.

Tobacco smoke residues are the chemicals that we smell; on your coworker who just came back from their smoke break, in car after your teenage daughter borrowed it, or in your hair two washes later after going to a smoky bar.

“Your nose isn’t lying,” [ Dr. Jonathan P. Winickoff] said. “The stuff is so toxic that your brain is telling you: ’Get away.’”

Cigarette bans around the globe have helped decrease the amount of smoking world wide. Bans are already in place in many public places: schools, office buildings, dorm rooms and cars as well as bars and restaurants. Smokers are finding it harder and harder to find a place to light up. This new awareness of third-hand smoke may be just the term needed to aid anti-smoking campaigners in the ban of smoking in your own home.

Among the substances in third-hand smoke are hydrogen cyanide, used in chemical weapons; butane, which is used in lighter fluid; toluene, found in paint thinners; arsenic; lead; carbon monoxide; and even polonium-210, the highly radioactive carcinogen that was used to murder former Russian spy Alexander V. Litvinenko in 2006. Eleven of the compounds are highly carcinogenic.

The point doctors are making is this : cigarette smoking is bad for you, for the people around you, and for those people that will occupy the space where you were. Maybe 2009 is the year to finally quit?

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Barbara Mathieson

at 12:16 on January 3rd, 2009

Thanks for this story. Cigarette butts take between seven and ten years to decompose. It is littering. Keep your butts to yourselves.

When smokers toss their butts into the environment, they are endangering wildlife.

Maireid Sullivan

at 14:02 on January 3rd, 2009

That represents the residue of 4000 chemicals from every cigarette.

Paul Conneally

at 16:53 on January 3rd, 2009

Really interesting story. Thanks.

sakul (not verified)

at 21:16 on January 3rd, 2009

It's not just Liberals, Conservatives are in the fray demanding we adults be protected from ourselves. Enough! Stop the passing of laws and regulations that demand blind allegiance to ideals that are not aspired by all. You don't smoke, I don't smoke. But every adult (every human past puberty) must have the right to decide their own course in life.

Karenke4

at 21:29 on January 3rd, 2009

While banning smoking in people's own homes may be extreme, I certainly don't think raising awareness is. We all have the right to know what we are putting in our bodies, or how the products we purchase or activities we take part in affect us.

Liberals are not to blame. Science is science.

generalsn (not verified)

at 07:03 on January 4th, 2009

That's good to know. We need to post bulletins where trucks, ships, or locomotives are used to have people change clothes to protect families from third hand diesel smoke.

Pyrena (not verified)

at 20:17 on January 4th, 2009

Do not believe in Junk-Science.

pakistanpal

at 01:30 on January 5th, 2009

Stop selling cigarettes... Stop making cigarettes...

AliceG (not verified)

at 11:35 on January 5th, 2009

Doctors are worried about the chemicals from third hand smoke and now the American Academy of Pediatrics is aggressively attacking any doctors or health experts who oppose mandatory flu shot vaccines onto six-month old infants. There are large amounts of toxins found in them such as Mercury, Formaldehyde and Ethylene glycol (which is anti-freeze) and that is just to name a few. They can inject those chemicals into our children which are more harmful than a risk that a child crawling might come in contact with. This stuff has to stop.

slcmcguire (not verified)

at 09:53 on January 6th, 2009

not to mention doctors are still cutting bits off of babies when they're just a few days old. functioning, healthy, purposeful penile skin and all the wonderful nerves that go snip snip bye bye when they do it! do no harm, put down the knife, and STEP AWAY FROM THE BABY.

slcmcguire (not verified)

at 09:55 on January 6th, 2009

slcmcguire (not verified)

at 09:57 on January 6th, 2009

altrugon

at 12:23 on January 5th, 2009

I really hope this habit get erased from the surface of the Earth.

I hate smoking!

Uwe Paschen

at 15:41 on January 5th, 2009

I think they should worry about more hazardous pollution first like Household cleaners, car fumes, industrial fumes, garden chemicals, food additions.... Cigarettes may kill you, however Cars fumes will do it a lot faster then Tabaco can.

tikun

at 09:09 on January 6th, 2009

I agree Paschen.

It is time that people become aware that the cleaning chemicals you use in your home are sometimes much more dangerous. Awareness of "green chemicals" like Earth Friendly Products in the US that are safe and do not create undue harm to ourselves and the environment.

thelastminute

at 20:22 on January 5th, 2009

yuk.

coey (not verified)

at 06:55 on January 6th, 2009

I have not heard about 3rd hand smoke before this. This is not easily prevented in our daily life except if the country that you currently stay did not sell cigarette at all. There will be people suffering as well as love this arrangement if this is a must follow rules from that country. I personally do like to have this arrangement. It is good for the smoker as well as the non-smoker.

Bobby Light (not verified)

at 11:09 on January 6th, 2009

We need to stop worrying about every little thing and have fun. Something is going to kill you eventually so live your life and mind your own business.

I don't want to die of boredom.

Lee Lecu

at 13:30 on January 6th, 2009

Try telling that to the rest of the world besides the US and Canada!

mezze

at 11:27 on January 7th, 2009

what exactly is your point, given the title 'third-hand smoke'?

Barbara McPherson

at 18:06 on January 11th, 2009

Wow, what a hornet's nest you stirred up. It is a good story, all it does is inform. We all have restrictions in our modern society. We all need to be tolerant of the smokers too, but they should know that smoking kills one out of two smokers. The odds aren't good.