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Another Reason to Quit Smoking!

Posted on: November 9, 2009 | admin | Comments Off | Print Article | Rate Post:

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Most of us know smoking is bad for smokers. Many of us also know second-hand smoke can be even worse – for smokers, their friends, families and even pets. To protect loved ones, many smokers now take it outside, and although it helps, but new research shows it’s no longer enough.

In the January 2009 issue of Pediatrics, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, along with researchers across the US, described how tobacco smoke contamination lingers even after a cigarette is put out.

Called third-hand smoke, dust containing toxic particulates settles on smoker’s clothing, furniture, carpets and toys. Third-hand smoke is what you smell when a smoker comes inside after going out for a cigarette, or what’s left behind when a smoker leaves the room. “Your nose isn’t lying,” says Jonathan Winickoff, lead author and assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. “The stuff is so toxic that your brain is telling you: ‘Get away.’”

“When their kids are out of the house, [parents] might smoke. Or they smoke in the car. Or they strap the kid in the car seat in the back and crack the window and smoke, and they think it’s okay because the second-hand smoke isn’t getting to their kids,” Dr. Winickoff continued.


“When you smoke – anyplace – toxic particulate matter from tobacco smoke gets into your hair and clothing,” says Winickoff. “When you come into contact with your baby, breastfeed, the toxins will transfer to your baby in your breast milk.”

Particulate matter from tobacco smoke has already been proven toxic. According to the National Toxicology Program, tobacco smoke includes 250 poisonous gases, chemicals, and metals like hydrogen cyanide, carbon monoxide, butane, ammonia, arsenic, chromium and lead. Cigarette smoke also contains toluene – used to make paint thinners – cadmium – used to make batteries –– and highly radioactive, cancer-causing polonium-210. Eleven of the compounds found in cigarette smoke are classified as Group 1 carcinogens, the most dangerous kind of cancer-causing chemicals.

Third-hand smoke lingers indoors long after smoking has stopped. Small children are especially vulnerable when held by parents who smoke, even outside, and when they crawl on, play with, or touch and mouth contaminated surfaces like clothing, furniture, carpet and toys. And like low level lead exposure, low level tobacco particulates are associated with cognitive deficits among children – the greater the exposure, the lower the reading score. Even extremely low levels may be neurotoxic.

“The dangers of third-hand smoke are very real,” concludes Winickoff. “Closing the kitchen door to smoke is not protecting kids from the effects of that smoke,” he said. “There are carcinogens in third-hand smoke, and they are a cancer risk for anybody of any age who comes into contact with them.”

Protect yourself, the ones you love, and most importantly, the ones that love you back. Call the AK Tobacco Quit Line (1-800-QUIT-NOW) to talk with a trained Quit Coach who can help you get tobacco-free and stay that way. It’s free, confidential and it works. Make the decision to quit today.

Remember, if you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you do, quit. But in the meantime, thank you for smoking OUTSIDE! For more information, contact SeaView’s Tobacco Prevention Coordinator at SeaView Community Services, (907) 224-5257 or at prevention@seaviewseward.org

Contact the Alaska Tobacco Quit Line at 1-800-Quit-Now or TTY 1-877-777-6534.

Information for this article taken from the following sources: New York Times (www.nytimes.com/2009/01/03/health/research/03smoke.html), Science Daily (www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081229105037.htm), and ABC News (abcnews.go.com/Health/…/story?id=6586810&page=1&page=1).

Category: Health

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