Third Hand Smoke – New health hazards of smoking

We’ve all heard of “secondhand smoke,” the result of which smokers exhale and release carcinogens into the air around them. The harmful effects of second-hand smoke are well established. Third hand smoke is not uncommon.

The term was coined in 2009 by doctors from Mass General Hospital for Children, and is used for gases and suspended particles from tobacco smoke that cling to clothing, hair, skin, carpets, upholstery, and even wallpaper.

We’ve all detected the smell of smoke after a smoker comes out of an enclosed space… This is a real example of third-hand smoke according to new research.

Science has long known that tobacco smoke absorbs onto surfaces; Until now no one had looked at what would happen when these remaining particles come into contact with common pollutants in the atmosphere.

Scientists from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory conducted lab tests and found “significant levels” of toxins on smoke-exposed materials. This residue can react with a common indoor pollutant to generate dangerous chemicals known as tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs). This residue can linger for weeks or even months.

So smokers who may not indulge around their kids, or break a car window and smoke with their kids in the back, are unknowingly exposing them to heavy metals, carcinogens, and even radioactive materials long after the cigarette smoke has cleared.

According to researchers, passive smoking is an underappreciated health risk, which increases enthusiasm for the anti-smoking movement and calls for bans on smoking in homes, vehicles, hotels, and other public spaces. Young children are particularly vulnerable because they breathe near these surfaces, and don’t hesitate to lick or suck on them.

In tests, contaminated surfaces were exposed to high but reasonable amounts of nitrous acid, something common enough in the air that can come from gas appliances that aren’t ventilated as well as most car engines and exhausts.

Exposure increased levels of newly formed TSNAs tenfold. Traces of TSNA were also seen on the interior surfaces of a truck owned by a heavy smoker.

Researcher Lara Gundel of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory admits, “Smoking outside is better than smoking inside, but nicotine residue will stick to the smoker’s skin and clothes. This residue follows the smoker back and spreads everywhere. Think of the lingering odor after the smoker comes back inside after a ‘smoke break.'”

Of course smoking advocates question the danger. Simon Clarke, UK director of Forest Smokers Group, said: “The dose makes the poison and there is no evidence that exposure to such minute levels is harmful. This does not seem to matter. The aim, it seems, is to create anxiety in the hope that people will be stopped from smoking or quitting.”

Whatever you think, the new business suggests that making your home and vehicle smoke-free is a smart choice, especially if you have young children.

You can also limit exposure to third-hand smoke and its after-effects as much as possible – wash your hands, change your clothes, and brush your teeth after smoking and before handling or feeding infants and young children.