Smokin’ News: Third-Hand Smoke
Published in Action & Fitness Magazine April 2009
You don’t smoke. Sure. You avoid second-hand smoke. Fine. But if you think you are less susceptible to the harmful effects of smoking, think again, because little do you know, you might just be in as much danger as a first-hand smoker.
Smoking now poses a new health hazard. Third-hand smoke, a term coined by the doctors from MassGeneral Hospital for Children in Boston, refers to the invisible yet dangerous mixture of toxins, gases, and particles that stick to clothes, hair, and even carpets and furniture long after second-hand smoke has gone. The heavy metals, carcinogens, and radioactive materials found in third-hand smoke are a cancer risk and are especially dangerous to young children who might accidentally ingest then upon contact.
Second-Hand Smoke v. Third-Hand Smoke
Second-hand smoke is the visible smoke that lingers in a certain place. Third-hand smoke (THS), on the other hand, refers to the invisible toxins residue that remain long after the visible smoke has gone. THS is the slightly off odor that clings to your clothes and hair when you ride in a car or an elevator with someone who has smoked recently. You don’t see the smoke, but that doesn't mean there’s nothing there. The danger remains as these deadly chemicals increase overtime. They post the biggest threat to infants and young children who have naturally faster breathing rates and may come in contact with them by merely crawling on the floor or playing in the sofa.
Third-Hand Smoke Facts
- It’s also known as Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS), the combination of smoke released from burning cigarettes and the smoke exhaled from the smokers’ lungs.
- It lingers for hours after the cigarette has been put out.
- It causes asthma, respiratory diseases, and fatal health hazards like lung cancer.
- Short-hand exposures can damage the lining of blood vessels, affect the heart rate, and increase the risk of heart attack.
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classified ETS as Group A Carcinogen.
- ETS contains toxins and carcinogens such as hydrogen cyanide, arsenic, ammonia, vinyl chloride, benzene, and formaldehyde.
- Exposure to ETS may lead to premature death to both young and old non-smokers.
- The level of ETS in restaurants and bars is relatively higher compared to residences and workplaces with smokers.
- ETS exposure causes fluid buildup in the ears and worsens asthma cases among children.
- In the US, 35% of children live with adults who smoke on a regular basis. Between 50-75% of children in the US have been found with cotinine (byproduct of nicotine) in their blood.
Toxins and Chemicals Found in Third-Hand Smoke
Cigarette smoke—first, second, and third-hand—contains over 4,000 chemicals. More than 200 of these chemicals are highly poisonous while 40 compounds are proven carcinogenic. Here are some of the chemicals found in third-hand smoke that are extremely dangerous when inhaled.
Hydrogen Cyanide: used in chemical weapons
Effect: prevents the body cells from using oxygen properly
Butane: found in lighter fluids
Effect: causes drowsiness, narcosis, euphoria, cardiac arrhythmia, and frostbite (which can result in sudden death due to asphyxiation and ventricular fibrillation)
Toluene: found in paint thinners
Effect: affects the brain and kidneys; long term exposure causes confusion, weakness, memory loss, nausea, loss of appetite, and hearing loss; inhalation causes light-headedness or drowsiness; studies have shown that neurotic problems may arise if the mother is exposed to high levels of toluene during pregnancy
Arsenic: used in bronzing and pyrotechnics
Effect: highly poisonous and carcinogenic; pesticides used by tobacco farmers may contain arsenic.
Lead: a highly toxic metal used in construction, bullets, and lead-acid batteries
Effect: long-term exposure hinders growth, causes nausea, and damages the brain
Carbon Monoxide: a colorless, odorless, highly toxic gas
Effect: enters the blood through the lungs. It combines with hemoglobin and hinders the blood’s ability to carry oxygen to the cells. Exposure to carbon monoxide includes fatigue, headache, nausea, mental confusion, and increased heart rate. Excessive and prolonged exposure can be fatal.
Polonium-210: a radioactive carcinogen that was used to assassinate Russian spy Alexander V. Litvinenko in 2006
Effect: poisonous and fatal
Ammonia: a toxic gas used in cleaning products and fertilizers and is added to heighten nicotine impact in cigarettes.
Effect: enhances nicotine effect which makes you more hooked on cigarettes.
Chromium VI or ‘Hexavalent Chromium’: a metal used to make dyes, paints, and alloys
Effect: highly toxic. It allows carcinogenic chemicals to attach strongly to DNA.
Cadmium: a metal used to make batteries.
Effect: It damages the kidneys and prevents the cells from healing damaged DNA. It also destroys the linings of the arteries.
Are People Already Aware of Third-hand Smoke?
Third-hand smoke is relatively a new term. An American research led by Dr. Jonathan P. Winickoff, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, aimed to examine adult behavior toward third-hand smoke and its effects on their children. Among the 1,500 households covered, 65.2 % of nonsmokers and 43.3 % of smokers agreed that third-hand smoke is dangerous to their children’s health. The figures also show that 88.4% of nonsmokers have strict no-smoking rules at home.
While the research did not dwell on the detailed effects of third-hand smoke on the body, the risks are seriously real and fatal. By accentuating the harmful effects of third-hand smoke on young children, the study encourages more households to prohibit smoking at home.
What Can You Do to Avoid Third-Hand Smoke?
Quit smoking. There’s no other way to avoid third-hand smoke than to quit the habit altogether. More public places should also observe non-smoking areas, particularly restaurants as third-hand smoke can be easily ingested through food. But kicking the habit is easier said than done and it takes a lot of willpower. Here are some ways on how to lessen the threats of acquiring diseases related to third-hand smoke.
- Opening windows when smoking is clearly not enough.
- As much as possible, smoke outside the house.
- Using a smoking jacket outside can also be helpful.
- Washing your hands with soap and water after smoking, especially before preparing food or touching anything.
Quitting the habit is a long and painful process but the rewards will be great. Use every aid that will help you stop smoking. There are lots of cigarette alternatives out there you can choose from, such as nicotine gums, nicogel, and dissolvable tobacco pieces.
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