The Danger Of Thirdhand Smoke

You’ve likely heard of secondhand smoke, the smoke you inhale in the moment when others are smoking nearby. But the dangers of tobacco smoke linger long after a cigarette is extinguished.

Thirdhand smoke –  the lingering particles from secondhand smoke – can settle on surfaces and be absorbed. When someone smokes, deposits of harmful chemicals found in cigarettes and e-cigarettes settle on room surfaces, including furnishings, walls, draperies, and carpeting. These particles can even become embedded in peoples’ clothes and hair as well as children’s plush toys and bedding. This lingering residue is known as thirdhand smoke – and the damaging health effects of thirdhand smoke are becoming increasingly clear.

Health Risks Of Thirdhand Smoke

Research has shown that thirdhand smoke causes damage to people’s DNA, increasing their risk of developing cancer and other chronic disease. To fully understand the health risks of thirdhand smoke, you first have to understand the health risks of secondhand smoke – which, after all, is the source of thirdhand smoke.

“Thirdhand smoke is the chemical residue left behind by secondhand smoke, and it can linger for very long periods of time,” said Irene Boone Phillips, program coordinator for the Lake County Community Tobacco Prevention & Cessation Coalition, a Franciscan Health Lead Agency.

Researchers have long established the many dangers of secondhand smoke. According to the American Lung Association, secondhand smoke exposure causes more than 7,300 lung cancer deaths and nearly 34,000 heart disease deaths annually.

“The National Toxicology Program estimates that at least 250 of the 7,000 identified chemicals in secondhand smoke are known to be toxic or carcinogenic,” Boone Phillips said.

In the form of thirdhand smoke, these same cancer-causing chemicals are left behind to build up and pose a risk of long-term exposure in any room or space where smoking occurs.

Risks of thirdhand smoke to children

Secondhand smoke is linked to an array of health complications for children, including:

• Asthma
• Respiratory tract infections
• Ear infections
• Learning difficulties
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

How Does Thirdhand Smoke Exposure Happen?

Typically, thirdhand smoke exposure happens when people have skin or mouth contact with surfaces on which particles from secondhand smoke settle. For example, a small child could be exposed by crawling on carpets in areas where smoking occurs or by putting their hands in their mouth after touching a coffee table or couch embedded with thirdhand smoke residue.

You also can be exposed to thirdhand smoke by simply breathing the air in a room in which thirdhand smoke chemicals – once embedded in the walls or furnishings – break free and recirculate.

Research has found that no amount of vigorous cleaning or vacuuming can completely remove all traces of thirdhand smoke residue in a room or car. Even professional cleaning, painting and smoke remediation processes can still leave traces of thirdhand smoke in a room’s drywall and insulation.

As a result, to reduce the risk of secondhand or thirdhand smoke exposure for other family members, smokers should avoid ever smoking indoors or in their vehicles. Smokers may also want to shower and change their clothes after smoking before visiting with others, especially young children.

“If parents or grandparents don't want to expose their children to thirdhand smoke, the best thing they can do is to work on quitting smoking,” Boone Phillips said. “Number two is you never smoke in areas where children may be, whether they're present in that moment or not.”

Smoking in front of an open window does not prevent thirdhand smoke exposure, the American Lung Association says.

“If you do have to smoke, always smoke outside and wear special clothing – like a smoking jacket or a shirt that can be removed before you come back inside,” Boone Phillips said.

Getting Help Quitting

If you’re considering quitting smoking or vaping, don’t wait. It’s the single best step you can take to protect your health and the health of those around you. The Franciscan Health Aspire Quit Smoking & Vaping Program offers group classes, counseling, and other supports to help you say goodbye to cigarettes or e-cigarettes forever.

You can also call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or text READY to 200-400 anytime day or night to access smoking cessation support and services through Quit Now Indiana. Or, schedule an appointment with your primary care physician, who can prescribe medications that could assist you in your goal to stop smoking.

Take the step today to kick the smoking habit for good. It’s the only way to ensure your family’s risk of harmful health effects from firsthand, secondhand and thirdhand smoke are a thing of the past.