- With Mayo Clinic internist and director of the Nicotine Dependence Center
Richard D. Hurt, M.D.
Quit smoking basics (5)
- Smoking: Does it cause wrinkles?
- What is 'third-hand' smoke?
- Cigar smoking: Safer than cigarette smoking?
- see all in Quit smoking basics
Quit-smoking action plan (2)
- Lobelia supplements: Can they curb nicotine cravings?
- Nicotine patch: Any harm in long-term use?
Living smoke-free (2)
- Quit smoking, gain weight: Is it inevitable?
- I quit smoking: Why am I still coughing?
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Question
What is 'third-hand' smoke?
What is "third-hand" smoke and why is it a concern?
Answer
from Richard D. Hurt, M.D.
"Third-hand" smoke refers to the cigarette byproducts that cling to smokers' hair and clothing as well as to household fabrics, carpets and surfaces — even after secondhand smoke has cleared. Doctors coined the term to raise awareness about the danger these invisible tobacco toxins pose to small children, who are especially susceptible because they breathe near, crawl on, play on, touch and mouth contaminated surfaces.
The important thing to know is that you can't eliminate smoke exposure in your home by opening a window, using air conditioning or a fan, or allowing smoking in some rooms but not others. If you can smell tobacco smoke — even if you can't see it — you're breathing in toxins, including more than 60 known carcinogens. The only way to fully protect your children — and nonsmoking adults in your family — is to make your home and car smoke-free. Consider this added bonus: Enforcing these smoke-free zones may help smokers quit and reduce the risk of teens becoming smokers.
Next questionCigar smoking: Safer than cigarette smoking?
- Matt GE, et al. Households contaminated by environmental tobacco smoke: Sources of infant exposures. Tobacco Control. 2004;13:29.
- Matt MF, et al. Beliefs about the health effects of 'thirdhand' smoke and home smoking bans. Pediatrics. 2009;123:e74. Accessed April 27, 2009.
- Health consequences of involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke: A report of the Surgeon General. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/. Accessed April 27, 2009.
