Focus turning to ‘third-hand smoke’

TORONTO—Now there’s a name for that cigarette smell that lingers in cars, on furniture, and on smokers—it’s called third-hand smoke and it could be the latest front in the anti-smoking battle.
According to new research published in this month’s edition of the journal Pediatrics, it’s the first scientific study to use the term.

Researchers say toxic third-hand smoke lingers long after the second-hand smoke disappears and can be ingested by children crawling around.
The study’s lead author, Dr. Jonathan Winickoff of Harvard Medical School, said parents who try to shield their kids from second-hand smoke by rolling down the car window or smoking in a different room are not doing enough.
The researchers surveyed 1,500 U.S. households to look at people’s attitudes about third-hand smoke and found only 65 percent of non-smokers and 43 percent of smokers agreed that third-hand smoke can harm the health of children.
The study also found support for a smoking ban in homes was higher among people who believe third-hand smoke is dangerous.
Among other toxins, third-hand smoke has been found to contain arsenic, lead, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen cyanide, which is used in chemical weapons.