Info-Station

What is Third-hand Smoke?

Have you ever smelt a pungent scent of cigarette smoke and felt suffocated in an empty elevator? What do you feel if you suddenly smell the residual odor of tobacco smoke on the hair of your beloved partner/family members when you hug them? How much do you know about this smell?

While people nowadays are familiar with first-hand and second-hand smoke, they may not have a thorough understanding of third-hand smoke. Third-hand smoke means the chemical residual of tobacco smoke contamination that clings to clothing, wall, furniture, hair and skin after the cigarette is extinguished.

Infants, Toddlers and Children are the Biggest Victims

Most parents know that smoking in front of their children will pose serious risks to their health. But they may not aware that another intangible threat, third-hand smoke, affects the growth of their children just like first-hand and second-hand smoke do.

A study in the U.S. surveyed 1,478 households on their opinions on the relationship among second-hand smoke, third-hand smoke and smoke-free home. 95.4% of nonsmokers and 84.1% of smokers agreed that second-hand smoke causes harms to children’s health but only 65.2% of nonsmokers and 43.3% of smokers agreed that third-hand smoke brings the same harmful effect to children. Whilst only 3.4% of interviewees were not clear about the threats on children’s health caused by second-hand smoke, 22% of interviewees did not know the hazards of third-hand smoke on children. The result clearly demonstrated the public has insufficient knowledge towards third-hand smoke.

A large amount of toxic substances can be found in third-hand smoke. They include hydrocyanic acid, used in chemical weapons; butane, found in lighter fluid; toluene, found in paint thinners; arsenic; lead; carbon monoxide; and even polonium-210, which is a highly radioactive carcinogen.

These toxic chemical substances can remain on the surface of household utensils and furniture of the indoor area, carpets, floors, walls, ceilings, etc. for days and even weeks after smoking. Nicotine, one of these toxic substances, could react with nitrous acid (a common pollutant found indoor) to produce carcinogenic tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs).

Infants and toddlers are full of curiousity. They love crawling on the floor, touching everything in sight and even putting objects into their mouths. As TSNAs enter the human body mainly through dust inhalation or direct contact of skin, TSNAs pose especially serious hazard to children. Besides, frequent cleaning and tidying up cannot remove these toxic substances easily as the residual nicotine can only be dissolved by acidic liquids. Most alkaline cleansers available in the market cannot remove these substances.

How to Protect Infants, Toddlers and Children from Third-hand Smoke

Do not smoke in front of your children and at places they stay (e.g. at home and inside vehicle)

Keep your infants, toddlers and children away from belongings of smokers

A study reveals that for those children whose parents are smokers, they tend to get addicted to smoking easily. If you are a parent and you smoke, please quit smoking immediately. If you need any assistance or information on smoking cessation, please contact us at 1833 183 or seek help from your family doctor