We all know about second-hand smoke - but do you know about third hand smoke?
We all know the term "second hand smoke". This is smoke that is coming from a cigarette (or person) that ends up being breathed in by another person. It's also known as passive smoking.
But now a new term has been coined for passive smoking and it's called "third hand smoke".
Third hand smoke is the smoke (and subsequent carcinogens and other poisons) that end up on our clothes, in our hair, our furniture and carpets. These poisons are considered to be third hand smoke, because they can actually end up in our bodies, and can cause damage to our health.
Children, in particular, are considered at risk for third hand smoke, as they tend to play on carpets and rugs, as well as jump on sofas (my own kids being a prime example of that), cushions and even play with curtains and bedspreads.
Researchers at Boston's MassGeneral Hospital for Children coined the term and many hope that the evidence that these toxins and heavy metals are harmful to children will promote a ban on smoking in homes that have children.
For adults, as well as children, it's important to always request a non-smoking room. Even if no-one is smoking in a room with you, a room that contained recent smokers will have beds, carpets and furniture full of these poisons. Something frequent traveler's may need to note.
Researchers at MassGeneral are aware that most people know about the dangers of second hand smoke, and would like them to be equally aware of the dangers of third hand smoke. Recent studies would suggest that few of us know that third hand smoke is even a factor, when we think about smoking in general.
On a personal note, I always write in the memo section when booking hotels on line (even when they say non-smoking rooms are available, that's not always the case) that my children have "SEVERE upper respiratory allergies and health concerns - non-smoking room CRUCIAL" and it always works. I'm not sure if they check out my fabulously healthy kids as we check in, and raise their eyebrows but anyway...
The study by researchers at MassGeneral is in this months Pediatrics journal.
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Are you aware of the subject of third hand smoke? Do you think smoking should be banned in homes that have children?
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Susan, that's a fascinating post.
I have never heard the term third-hand smoke, but it makes sense. I know that if we go to a restaurant where the non-smoking and smoking sections are not well separated, my clothes (and long hair) smell like I was the one smoking. It makes sense -- fibers have rippled surfaces and make it easy to trap anything from dirt to fragrance to smoke.
I was raised in a smoking home (and, what I think is worse because it's such a confined space, a smoking car) -- my dad was a smoker until I was probably 16 -- and I know my health and that of my siblings was probably affected by it. All of us have had severe respiratory issues from time to time, and two of us have asthma. I don't know if secondhand smoke caused it, but it wouldn't surprise me.
That said, I think we get into a very dangerous area when we legislate what people can and cannot do within their own homes. I would guess that those who are for the ban would say that smoke in a home is an assault on a child's health just like physical abuse is an assault on a child's health and well-being.
But how would they possibly hope to enforce such a ban?
Would we then ban high-fat foods from homes where the children seem overweight? Could it be considered abuse if the parents served high-fat food?
Could it be considered neglect if a family didn't feed their children lean meat or fresh vegetables? (What if they were too poor?)
We know we must buckle children into safety seats. But could it be considered endangering a child if we have a sports car instead of a larger car that's been proven to be more safe?
While I detest smoke, and feel for those who can't get away from it, it seems unrealistic to hope that it could ever be banned inside a person's home. (Look how difficult it still is in some areas just to get it banned in public areas).
I agree that a ban on smoking in the home is impossible to enforce (whether the smoke is from from mainstream smoke, sidestream smoke, second-hand or third-hand passive smoking), caretakers of children need to be well informed of this new information and enforce a non-smoking ban in their home for their own family.
Many parents have discarded some plastic baby bottles that released harmful chemicals. Many other parents avoided artificial Christmas trees this year, as they heeded the warning that some trees contain lead. Do these same safety-conscious parents know that passive smoke (whether second- or third-hand) contains LEAD...as well as 250 additional types of poisonous gases, chemicals and metals?! Some of them include carbon monoxide, butane, ammonia, toluene (found in paint thinners), arsenic (rat poison), lead, chromium (used to make steel), cadmium (used to make batteries), and polonium-210 (a highly radioactive carcinogen).
So, while a state or government home-ban may not be enforceable, parents and caregivers can absolutely ban the use of tobacco in their homes, in order to keep their child(ren) safe! If they are traveling, parents can choose to keep their child away from these harmful chemicals (just like they would not take their child to a house with asbestos, lead or other known harmful substance) by staying with non-smoking relatives and/or at a non-smoking hotel.