News & Politics - Third-Hand Smoke Kills, Too

**sunnykerr** · 01-05-2009, 08:15 PM

Ah, ah. What is third-hand smoke, you ask? Well, it's the crap that hangs on to your clothes and in the carpets and the furniture and all that stuff after smokers butt out.

Quote:

What's lurking in your clothes, hair, carpets, and drapes long after a smoker leaves the room? Third-hand smoke—a film of chemicals and carcinogens.
By Coeli Carr for MSN Health & Fitness

The unpleasant residual odor of a smoked cigarette is nothing new. Ask anyone who's returned from a party with the scent of stale cigarettes in their hair and clothing. Now, a study has confirmed what many have suspected. Third-hand smoke—the contamination from particles in smoke that linger long after a cigarette has been snuffed out—is more than unpleasant. It's a health threat.

In this month's issue of the journal Pediatrics, researchers at MassGeneral Hospital for Children, in Boston, coined the term "third-hand smoke" to describe the toxic particles that remain after visible smoke is gone, and which pose an especially great risk to infants and children who inhale them.

"People react to how bad smoke smells on their hair and clothes, but don't realize they could get sick from the smell," says Angela Stotts, M.D., professor of family medicine at Houston's University of Texas Health Science Center, who is conducing ongoing research on second-hand smoke. "A lot of parents think that if they smoke at home when their children aren't around, their children are safe." Although ventilation will help smoke dissipate, the particles simply embed themselves on furniture, carpets and other surfaces.

Stuart Abramson, M.D., a pediatric immunologist at Texas Children's Hospital, also in Houston, says that cigarette smoke contains about 4,000 chemicals and a sizable number of carcinogens and contaminants, including benzene, butane and hydrogen cyanide.

"If children are in a room where people are smoking, the dose of these contaminants is high," says Abramson. And, he says, when the particles land and embed themselves on objects in the home, you have the risk of children receiving chronic exposure to these contaminants. "It may be as simple as an infant, being held, inhaling and touching toxins from a smoking parent's clothing. Both high doses and chronic exposure are harmful to children," says Abramson. Stotts believes chronic exposure over long periods of time has the most damaging effect.

Alan Greene, M.D., clinical professor of pediatrics at Stanford University and the author of Raising Baby Green (Jossey-Bass, 2007), says that, in addition to cancer risks, the neurotoxins in these particles may affect brain development.

What can parents who smoke do to protect their children from third-hand smoke?

The best approach, says Abramson, is to use the "precautionary principle," which is to avoid any exposure that has the potential of causing harm. He says parents who smoke should try to quit, or smoke only outside the home. Stotts advises that the car should also be a smoke-free zone.

Greene suggests filling the home with green plants, to freshen the air, and applying fresh coats of low-VOC paint to walls that may be full of residual contaminants.

And that old sofa with years of embedded smoke-related toxins? "Ideally, you should get rid of it," says Stotts. "If that's not possible, you can do a really good job of cleaning it, but scrubbing is no guarantee."

Another nose—preferably that of a non-smoker—may be helpful. "Many people who are chronic smokers have an impaired sense of smell," says Abramson.

Third-Hand Smoke is a First-Class Problem - MSN Health & Fitness - Quit Smoking

All I can say is: Sweet validation!!!!

I have been allergic to cigarette (and cigar) smoke for years. And I've been ridiculed and told that I was making too big a thing out of it. Well, guess what, I was right. I could dance. Seriously, I could dance. It wasn't in my head. People's couches can make you sick if they're smokers. I knew it.

**TheAngel** · 01-06-2009, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunnykerr (View Post)

Ah, ah. What is third-hand smoke, you ask? Well, it's the crap that hangs on to your clothes and in the carpets and the furniture and all that stuff after smokers butt out.

Third-Hand Smoke is a First-Class Problem - MSN Health & Fitness - Quit Smoking

All I can say is: Sweet validation!!!!

I have been allergic to cigarette (and cigar) smoke for years. And I've been ridiculed and told that I was making too big a thing out of it. Well, guess what, I was right. I could dance. Seriously, I could dance. It wasn't in my head. People's couches can make you sick if they're smokers. I knew it.

I've been having the same argument with people for years as well. I'm allergic to it. If someone sits next to me in class who's been smoking, I'll start sneezing, my eyes will water, it really makes things rough for me. I have no problems if people smoke, even though I think it's silly, but once it starts having an impact on my health, we have a problem. Of course, smokers won't listen to this. They'll just think it's another example of a non-smoking agenda.

**sunnykerr** · 01-06-2009, 07:49 PM

That's perplexing to me, this idea of a non-smoking agenda. Every study out there says that smoking is poisonous to life. Now, some people smoke. It's their choice... Well, it's their right anyway. And no one's trying to tell them what to do. We're just trying to save our lives, we who do not choose to smoke.

**TheAngel** · 01-07-2009, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunnykerr (View Post)

That's perplexing to me, this idea of a non-smoking agenda. Every study out there says that smoking is poisonous to life. Now, some people smoke. It's their choice... Well, it's their right anyway. And no one's trying to tell them what to do. We're just trying to save our lives, we who do not choose to smoke.

I agree. I don't care, really, if someone smokes, but I ask that you not do it around me because I'm allergic to it and it does give me serious issues. But whenever I tell someone that, they bash me for promoting some type of biased opinion based on what they consider to be political propoganda. First of all, the government wants people to smoke. They make a huge amount of money off cigarette taxes. I know my state does anyway, so I fail to understand how politics comes into the equation. I always get the, "well, if you don't want to smell it then leave" response. But I have to believe that my right to breathe trumps someone's right to smoke, especially in a restaurant or in a classroom or something similar.

jerkstore · 01-07-2009, 09:07 AM

What pisses me off are the smokers who absolutely refuse to admit that their smoking has an adverse impact on anyone else. I've known quite a few who flat out deny that smoking causes any disease and who have told me that I'm a lying, killjoy bitch for complaining about their toxic smoke.

vc318 · 01-07-2009, 08:12 PM

Smoking is such a bad habit and no matter what you do - that smell never goes away.

Jen Jaree · 01-08-2009, 02:32 AM

I am neither pro or anti smoking. I even occasionally have a ciggerate once in a while, my ciggerate ever was 4 months ago. In my opinion it seems that every study on second and now third smoke is just as lethal maybe even more than smoking a ciggerate something I am skeptical about not that there isn't any adverse effects and if non smoker gets lung cancer its always second hand smoke because there is no other way to get cancer. The people who would be more sensitive to smoke would be those allergic or have respitory problems "which is probably caused by smoke". Most stereotypical non-smokers who complain about smoke are neither of those. I support the anti-smoking laws in most public places except I have no problem with designated smoking areas in bars. One time when I was on the bus this lady wanted the bus to stop for a few minutes so she can have a smoke. I said "I think you can go 45 minutes without a smoke" Anyone who doesn't think smoking is bad for your health is a ****ing moron. I wouldn't be suprised if tobacco becomes illegal all together. The main reason I don't want that to happen is because it would be a big waste of the court's time and our tax dollars. I have had these views before I even started.

In Vancouver where I live you have to smoke more than 6 metres (20 feet) away from a doorway only a few bars still have smoking areas but you can smoke crack, or shoot herion anywhere in fact we even have a safe injection site, sadly I am not exaggerating.

**sunnykerr** · 01-08-2009, 07:40 PM

But there is a difference between a smoker and a heroin addict. As tremendously worse as heroin is for any person using it, your health won't be affected unless you use it yourself. Smoking as been proven over and over again to affect the health of not only the person who lights up, but of people around him or her as well.

That's what makes the difference for me, in the end. You can die from smoking-related diseases without ever having smoked in your life.

And, like the article on third-hand smoke says, it's even worse for babies, because they're literally crawling in all that toxic filth.

I know many a smoker myself. And they're all good people. So I do feel it sucks that a habit they have and which, at this point, is not really one of their choosing is doing this. They don't deserve it.

But what are we supposed to do?

I have (and I'm sure it's worse for other people who have worse asthma than mine) a bad enough time as it is breathing when the weather is as cold as it's been lately... you add smoke to that? It's just not good.


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