So you thought you could keep your little ones protected from the harmful effect of passive smoking by not puffing in their presence! Caring parents often slip into the balcony for a quick drag, and whenever they puff indoors, they keep the windows ajar to let the smoke out. Face it – all these are of little help and it is high time to go for a reality check. It may upset you, but the fact is that despite all your precautions, you cannot keep your kids completely insulated from the lethal effects of tobacco. Wondering why? Well, there is another invisible enemy, which can seriously harm your little one’s health. Scientists have labeled it as third hand smoke (THS).
Exposure to THS Can Be More Dangerous Than Impacts of Passive Smoking
THS, a term coined by a research team from the Dana–Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, refers to the volatile tobacco residue left by cigarette smoke. It creates a kind of toxic mix that persists in the environment, lingers on your walls, furniture, furnishing and carpets, and clings to your skin, hair and clothes long after you have stubbed out the cigarette. You can find THS pollutants in an environment where smoking took place a few hours or perhaps a few days or even weeks back. That loitering stench coming from your clothes, drapes and carpets are the proof of THS’ presence. According to a study published in the international research journal, Environmental Science & Technology, exposure to THS accounts for up to 60 percent of the harm caused by routine exposure to smoke. Every time you get exposure to these pollutants, you lose a year or so from your total lifespan.
| First Hand Smoke | Second Hand Smoke | Third Hand Smoke |
| The smoke that one inhales into his own lungs | A mixture of side steam smoke coming out from burning cigarettes, and mainstream smoke. It enters the atmosphere and can be inhaled by others | Residual nicotine and other chemicals that linger in the air and get deposited on a variety of surfaces long after the second-hand smoke has cleared.
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Kids, Third Hand Smoke and Potential Health Hazards
- Second hand smoke (SHS) – the smoke that you breathe out, while puffing – is loaded with carcinogenic elements. As many as 4,000 toxic substances invade the environment, every time a smoker exhales cigarette smoke. This toxic smoke then wafts through indoor air long after a cigarette has been extinguished, before finally settling down on surfaces and getting trapped in dust, as third hand smoke.
- When these substances come into contact with other indoor pollutants such as nitrous acid and other oxidants, they undergo chemical transformation, subsequently creating brand new compounds – some of which may be carcinogenic.
- The constituents of THS include nicotine, 3-ethenylpyridine (3-EP), phenol, cresols, naphthalene, formaldehyde, and tobacco-specific nitrosamines, all of which are extremely harmful when ingested. There are many other compounds in THS that tend to stick to DNA, eventually causing malignancy and genetic mutations.
- THS exposure is a completely involuntary procedure – you either inhale it or ingest it. The pollutants present in THS can also enter your body through skin contacts. These toxic compounds are often re-emitted into the air from various indoor surfaces.
- Your kid is more vulnerable than adults to the effects of THS. Children often crawl over carpets, touch toys and other objects infected with nicotine residues. They put their hands into their mouths, and eventually they end up inhaling and even swallowing toxic compounds trapped in third hand smoke.
- Exposure to THS increases Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in infants. Toddlers exposed to environmental nicotine are at a higher risk for asthma. Even low level of exposure can result into cognitive deficiencies in growing children.
Create Smoke-Free Environment, Protect Your Little Ones from THS
- The best way to protect your child from the lethal effects of THS is to quit smoking. Believe us, it won’t be that difficult as you imagine. A number of celebrities including the American president Barak Obama has quit through sheer will power. Talk to your doctor to learn about resources and support networks in your vicinity.
- Before you welcome your bundle of joy into your home, get rid of old furniture and furnishing that may have THS contamination. Paint the walls and ceilings fresh to get rid of the traces of the THS contamination.
- If replacing furniture is not an option, consider vacuuming your carpets, curtains and bedding. Good news is that you can easily dislodge nicotine from your clothes by thoroughly washing them. Applying a coat of polish on your wooden furniture will also help you remove THS contamination from them.
- Be careful, while hiring a nanny. Employ someone, who does not smoke. Since THS residues deposit on clothes, it is not safe to leave your kid under the care of a babysitter, who is a compulsive smoker.
- What happens when a guest, who happens to be a chain-smoker, comes to stay with you for a few days? Well, fret not. You still can play the role of the perfect host. Be tactful and request your guest to change into fresh clothes that are free from nicotine contamination. In addition, keep your guest’s belongings out of your child’s reach.
- It is especially important not to smoke inside your car, as it is a place, where kids spend a lot of time.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer predicts that by the year 2020, there will be 10 million tobacco-related deaths every year. Developing nations such as India has more reasons to be concerned, as 70 percent of these 10 million fatalities will occur in the developing world. Thanks to several nationwide campaigns, parents, at least in urban India, have become more aware of the deadly effect of passive smoking on their children. At this juncture, the government and social stake holders need to incorporate strong messages about THS contamination into their existing tobacco control programs. The campaigns should emphasize on educating the masses about the toxicology, health risks, and policy implications of THS. Doctors should come forward to advise new parents on how to combat this invisible enemy at home. They can motivate parents to give up smoking. The multi-family residential complexes, too, should uphold stricter anti-smoking policies to safeguard children, who are uniquely susceptible to the health hazards of THS. A collective will is what is needed to protect our next generation’s right to fresh air.
