Third-hand Smoke? Know How Dangerous It is

Third-hand smoke is the smoke that lingers on the surface, carpet floors and in the dust when nicotine is released in the form of vapour. Children are at a greater risk of this exposure as they crawl, play and touch objects, and sometimes taste surfaces contaminated with toxic residue.

Also read: Exposure to third-hand smoking could increase the risk of lung cancer

According to a research, third-hand smoking can prove to be as harmful as smoking and second-hand smoking. Third-hand smoking could: 

Damage your DNA 

The study has found that third-hand smoke can cause damage to human DNAs and can increase a person’s chance of a disease. 

Release Chemicals that Can Form Carcinogens 

When a person smokes, nicotine sticks to clothing, walls and other surfaces. Nicotine then reacts with nitrous acid present in the air, which forms carcinogens—compounds that can cause cancer.

Put Children at Risk 

Young children who crawl and put objects lying on the floor in their mouth are more likely to come in contact with intoxicated surfaces and are therefore the most vulnerable to third-hand smoke. Exposure to third-hand smoke for children could lead to major health diseases.

Toxic Residue Can Linger on for Years 

Third-hand smoke residue can stay on surfaces for months, even years. It can easily resist the day-to-day cleaning methods and you can dust it off out of the cars, walls, rooms and other surfaces.

The researchers suggest that the best possible way to curb the effects of third-hand smoking is to stop smoking. A smoke-free environment can reduce the spread of toxic residue and help keep the air clean of the harmful effects of smoke.