What Are the Dangers of Third Hand Smoke in a House?

Most people are familiar with first hand smoke, or smoke that you inhale while smoking a cigarette, and second hand smoke, or smoke that you inhale from another person's cigarette, but only recently have studies revealed the dangers of third hand smoke. Third hand smoke is smoke that lingers in drapes, carpeting, fabrics and other surfaces long after the cigarette is out.

Residue

• When you smoke a cigarette, the fumes from the cigarette leave a residue behind. The New York Times found the chemicals butane, hydrogen cyanide, toluene, arsenic, lead, carbon monoxide, and polonium-210 among others to be in this residue. Eleven of the chemicals found in the residue of cigarette smoke are highly carcinogenic.

TSNAs

• According to a study in Businessweek, the residue from tobacco smoke mixes with indoor pollutants to form tobacco-specific nitrosamines, which are highly carcinogenic. This is in addition to the other compounds left behind in tobacco smoke residue.

Danger to children and infants

• Smokers believe that going outside to practice their habit spares their loved ones by not smoking around them. Because the fumes get absorbed by surfaces even after the cigarette is out, others may still be at risk. Children and infants, who may crawl around on carpets, are more likely to inhale dust particles of the residue or be exposed to it through skin contact. The residue may irritate your child or another person's skin and mucous membranes. It can even encourage or aggravate asthma.

Long Term Exposure

• According to Hugo Destaillats, "Residual levels of nicotine may build up over time after several smoking cycles, and we know that through the process of aging, third hand smoke can become more toxic over time." So, not only may third hand smoke be harming you and your loved ones now, but it can build up to harmful long term exposure