Dangers of 'third hand smoke'

The majority of us are well aware of the dangers of 2nd hand smoke. However, experts are now warning us about ‘third hand smoke’, in a bid to drive home the importance of smoking cessation. Third hand smoke has proven to be just as damaging to health.

The researchers at Berkeley University studied a variety of smoke-exposed materials and found high levels of dangerous chemicals called tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs). These chemicals, the researchers say, are created when nicotine stains left on surfaces react with common indoor pollutants. This means that even if a smoker is not in the room, the damaging effects of their habit can linger on and affect those who share their environment.

Children could be particularly susceptible to such third hand smoke, researchers believe. They are more likely to breathe in close proximity to the nicotine stains, which may, for instance, be lingering on the cover of a sofa, or a coat used by a parent who smokes.

As a solution to the problem, the researchers suggest that smoking should be banned in houses and vehicles. Of course, this proposal may seem drastic and as one might expect, critics of the study have already taken grievance with the researcher’s suggestions. Smoker’s lobby group, Forest has argued that the findings are simply another means of “causing alarm” to encourage people to quit. On the other hand, support for the researchers has come from Cancer Research UK. The charity says the findings are an “interesting addition” to the mounting evidence that smoking does not just harm the person who is smoking themselves.

Second hand smoke

There is little doubt that second hand smoke, or passive smoking as it is commonly known, can affect people in close proximity to a smoker. It is estimated that thousands die each year from breathing in other people’s smoke on a regular basis. You cannot see or smell 85% of second hand smoke, so it can be particularly difficult to avoid. Second hand smoke contains 4,000 chemicals, 69 of which can cause cancer.