Third-hand smoke

Third-hand smoke is a term referring to the residue of chemicals found in the air and on surfaces after cigarettes and other tobacco products are smoked. It is formed when substances in the smoke combine with substances in the air and objects in the room. Research indicates that the resulting chemicals can be found on surfaces and organic materials, such as skin and hair. The chemicals can linger for days, months, or even years after the actual smoking occurs. These chemicals are difficult to remove completely and can be recirculated into the air long after the last cigarette was extinguished.

Research indicates that exposure to these chemicals can cause health problems—including cancer—in laboratory animals. As a result, some experts claim that third-hand smoke represents a significant health risk. They maintain it increases the risk of lung cancer and other smoking-related illnesses in people who have never smoked but who live in areas where others smoke. They caution that the risk is highest for infants and children who may touch smoke-coated surfaces and then put their hands in their mouths. Other experts urge restraint in making claims about the risk of third-hand smoke, noting that there are many other potentially dangerous chemicals that are also found on untreated surfaces. They also maintain that tests with laboratory animals do not necessarily indicate a danger to humans.

Background

Cigarettes contain tobacco, a plant that grew wild in the Americas for thousands of years. Archaeologists have found evidence that around 1 BCE, some native populations began to chew and smoke the leaves as part of social and religious rituals. The plant was also thought to have medicinal properties. After European explorers arrived in the Americas, they brought this new plant and the practice of drying and smoking its leaves in pipes, back home and to other parts of the world.

As early as the seventeenth century, some people began to notice the connection between exposure to large amounts of smoke and increased lung ailments. However, smoking continued to gain popularity. In the nineteenth century, the first cigarettes were rolled. Cigarettes became popular in the United States during the Civil War (1861-1865) and were especially popular among soldiers. Although concerns about the potential dangers of cigarette smoking were raised almost immediately, it would be another century before official warnings were issued about the health risks of smoking in the 1960s.

Modern cigarettes include tobacco and up to six hundred other ingredients that release as many as seven thousand additional chemicals when burned. Experts say many of these increase the health risks of smoking. Some of these ingredients are added to improve the “taste” of a cigarette and increase their addictiveness to make people want more. About seventy of these substances are known to cause cancer. These include lead, arsenic, cyanide, and tar similar to the substance used to pave roads. A person who smokes is directly exposed to these chemicals. In addition, people who are nearby also breathe in the smoke even if they are not smoking themselves. Cigarette smoke inhaled by people in the vicinity of a smoker is known as second-hand smoke.

Overview

The idea of third-hand smoke, or the chemical residue left in an area after a cigarette is smoked, is a relatively new idea. The term originated in the early twenty-first century and was used in print for the first time in 2006. It was popularized in 2009 in a journal article written by Harvard Associate Professor Jonathan Winickoff and others. However, the idea had its beginnings almost two decades earlier.

In 1991, studies indicated that the dust in homes where smoking occurred was contaminated with nicotine, the addictive substance in cigarettes. In 2002, researchers discovered that other chemicals formed by a burning cigarette can linger on surfaces in a room for days or even years. These chemicals combine with others found in the air to form different chemical substances, some of which are hazardous to human health. Additional research has indicated that the chemicals created from cigarette smoke coat nearby surfaces, including walls, floors, furniture, upholstery, and rugs. This buildup occurs in both buildings and vehicles and on both hard and soft surfaces.

Studies have also indicated that the chemical particles are found on hair, clothing, and other organic surfaces. They form a film that is difficult to remove and can be found even after some surfaces are wiped, washed, or cleaned. Some studies have indicated that using fans to freshen and recirculate the air does not substantially reduce the presence of third-hand smoke. In some cases, rugs and surfaces had to be replaced or walls repainted to remove all traces of the smoke-related chemicals.

Research has also indicated that at least some of these substances can be picked up in moving air and recirculated to other areas, including areas where smoking does not occur. For example, a study published in Science Advances in May 2018 presented evidence that cigarette smoke from outside can be pulled into a building’s ventilation system and deposited on surfaces in a non-smoking area.

Medical experts have raised concerns about the health risks associated with third-hand smoke. They say it poses the same risk as smoking when it comes to causing cancer of the lungs, bladder, throat, kidneys, mouth, cervix, and pancreas. Experts also believe the effects on infants and young children may be worse because of their bodies are in the early stages of development. Children also have a habit of putting their hands in their mouths after touching surfaces. Some experts consider third-hand smoke to be a factor in asthma, ear infections, pneumonia, and potentially in sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS.

Not all experts agree with these concerns. Some caution that researchers have not studied the issue extensively enough. The studies indicating third-hand smoke may cause cancer have also involved laboratory animals such as mice, which do not react to all substances in the same way that humans do. In addition, those who urge a more reserved approach point out that of many of the same chemicals in third-hand smoke can be found in other sources besides cigarettes.

Bibliography

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Cherney, Kristeen. “Thirdhand Smoke: What You Should Know.” Healthline, 18 Dec. 2017, www.healthline.com/health/thirdhand-smoke#health-effects. Accessed 28 Feb. 2019.

Dini, Jack. “A Third-hand Smoke Screen of Fear.” American Council of Science and Health, 8 June 2018, www.acsh.org/news/2018/06/08/third-hand-smoke-screen-fear-13060. Accessed 28 Feb. 2019.

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Hays, J. Taylor. “What Is Thirdhand Smoke, and Why Is It a Concern?” Mayo Clinic, 2019, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/third-hand-smoke/faq-20057791. Accessed 28 Feb. 2019.

“History of Tobacco.” University of Dayton, academic.udayton.edu/health/syllabi/tobacco/history.htm. Accessed 28 Feb. 2019.

“Thirdhand Smoke Harms People Even After Smoking Stops.” American Nonsmokers Rights Foundation, 2019, no-smoke.org/smokefree-threats/thirdhand-smoke/. Accessed 28 Feb. 2019.

Wan, William. “Thirdhand Smoke is Widespread and May Be Dangerous, Mounting Evidence Shows.” Washington Post, 9 May 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2018/05/09/third-hand-smoke-is-widespread-and-may-be-dangerous-mounting-evidence-shows/?utm‗term=.735353ec45d6. Accessed 28 Feb. 2019.