Third-Hand Smoke Becomes Latest Cigarette Scare
Smoking cigarettes is a bad idea and medical science is continuously proving it’s even worse than originally imagined. Science has proven that smoking often kills the smoker, by way of inhaled (first-hand) smoke. Second-hand smoking is both annoying and dangerous to anyone who, willingly or not, inhales the smoke of a nearby smoker. The medical journal, ‘Pediatrics,’ has now identified third-hand smoke and the health dangers it poses, especially to the very youngest non-smokers in a room.
Even when a smoker isn’t actively smoking, toxic dust and dangerous volatile chemical compounds that filled the air while the cigarette was lit are still in the air. And what goes up, almost always comes down, settling onto furniture surfaces, flooring, and all other objects in the same room where the cigarette was smoked. It’s this residual contamination that is becoming known as third-hand smoke.
What makes third-hand smoke a particular concern is that it settles onto eating utensils and glassware that children eat and drink from, passing the toxins it contains on to the child. It also settles on children’s food, toys, and everything else in the room, a particular concern for children who are learning to crawl along contaminated carpets, rugs, and smooth floorings and for everything a young child puts into his or her mouth.
Many parents are aware of the health risks to their children and pets when toxic lawn chemicals are used outside and a growing number of parents and pet owners have chosen to refrain from their use. In light of the ‘Pediatrics’ report on third-hand smoke, Joel Africk suggests concerned parents beware of the hazards of third-hand smoke with the same degree of vigilance with which they monitor lawn chemicals. Africk is president and CEO of the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago.
While noting the ‘Pediatrics’ study doesn’t call for a legal ban on cigarette smoking in the privacy of one’s home, he does urge parents to be aware of the hazards cigarettes cause to their children, even after the cigarette is extinguished and the smoke has cleared. According to Africk, it seems rather simple. He says, “if (parents) allow smoking in the home, it’s going to hurt their children.”
Third hand smoke….definitely way up there on my dumbest things list.
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WOW–what really scares me is the 4th and 5th hand smoke!!!!
surely the medical community must have a pill they can sell us to make it go away!!!!! This country has become such a joke!!!!!
Give me a break…..Can’t these people find something more important to spend this reasearch money on.
This isn’t a joke~ This really makes a lot of sense actually.
Americans are swimming in a self-created sea of chemicals.
This should force a complete revision of all hazardous chemical standards since it appears to move chemical health hazards from parts-per-million to parts per billion. If this report proves accurate we need to substantially reduce air and work place pollution levels by a factor of 10 or even 100.
All EPA and CDC evaluations of chemical hazards may need serious, major re-evaluation and change.
This article is w-r-o-n-g.
The Pediatrics study doesn’t “identify” anything. It is simply a survey of 2,000 people to see if they share the authors’ prejudice.
It is absolutely amazing that so few supposedly informed contributors to the “news” actually research what they write about. That’s the real epidemic.
The writer of this piece of opinionated drivel should be demoted to copy editing. The editor who approved it should be fired.
THIS is WILD GUESSING only. The supposed Phone Calls only asked if they had children and if they smoked…PERIOD. Must be someone on Mayor Bloombergs list in NYC. This is ANOTHER REASON FOR STATES TO RAISE TAX ES ON CIGARETTES…THATS ALL IT IS ABOUT.
ALL of the dirt from our environment and air of chemicals comes in our house the moment you open your door or keep your windows OPEN For fresh air.
I read suggestions that we NEVER OPEN A WINDOW. SO now we have added a new American Fear to the world that is far fetched and ridiculous. Someone has lost their job and now trying to get a new one. FEAR is really adding to our countrys woes and the global woes.
This is so sad and what is sadder is that there is jerks out there that believe anything they read.
As long as the world is full of gullible fools like Rick and John Lerch, this kind of ridiculous pseudo-scientific propaganda posing as “research” will continue to be spewed out of our supposedly reputable scientific journals. Idiocy. Pure idiocy.
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It appears that the bulk of you who responded are smokers. My brother is 74 years old with COPD and has kept his apartment unaired for six years. He is on oxygen 24/7 but still smokes. I am his sister at almost 70 and a caregiver to him. I DON’T SMOKE. I suffer from severe sinus problems and allergies. The arrogance and ignorance of the smokers astounds me. I get sick every time I leave his place after helping HIM to the car. His aid gets sick. He is totally insensitive to my health needs and yet he needs me to help him. It makes perfect sense that there is third hand smoke. It took me four washings to get the smoke out of his clothes sohe could go to rehab when he had pneumonia. It was so bad I finally went to a thrift store so he could have clothes without third hand smoke. His aid has to come in the evening so we won’t smell of smoke when he visits his other disabled patients. DOWN WITH FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD HAND SMOKE!!! BTW, I was very accommodating to my brother the first couple of years when I moved back to help him. I carried a lawn chair in my car so he could smoke when he had to have it. It cost me hours accommodating this nasty habit. This year I said no more. If I take you to the doctor and out to eat, no stopping for a cig break. I’m done!!!!
Propanga! Ha I will tell you where the propaganda comes from and it is not from the government when it comes to smoking. It is in the movies and beautiful models that glamourize smoking. THe tobacco industries have to replace all of the people who die from tobacco related illnesses by getting youth to start smoking. 90% of smokers start before the age of 18 and yes third hand smoke does exist and it is detrimental to people’s health. I am asthmatic which was worsened due to second and third hand smoke. A smoker inhales 4,000 chemicals and a passive smoker which is second hand smoke inhales 7,000 chemicals. Oh but nevermind this is all propaganda to smokers.
I will never forget my stepfather who passed away due to smoking. IF people want to be stupid and burn their lungs up fine. But I will be damned if I or my kids will be exposed to second or third hand smoke.
I study up on this it is my job btw and I educate people on the dangers of smoking. Lets see if you will argue ten years down the road when you have to be opened up and they suck all of the tar, formaldehyde, arsenic poison, battery acid, lighter fluid etc. from their lungs. Please this is a real health hazard and infants who are exposed to second or third hand smoke are at a higher risk of SIDS.