Third-Hand Reason for Quitting
Posted
January 4, 2009 at
5:59 am by
Tricia
Do you smoke but in an effort to help your children avoid the risks of second-hand smoke perhaps you open a window, close a door or turn on a fan to clear the air?
A new study published in this month’s issue of the journal Pediatrics reports clearing the air isn’t enough to keep children safe. Experts have now identified another smoking-related threat to children’s health that isn’t as easy to get rid of: third-hand smoke.
Third-hand smoke denotes an invisible yet toxic brew of gases and particles clinging to smokers’ hair and clothing, upholstery and carpeting that lingers long after smoke has cleared from a room. The residue includes heavy metals, carcinogens and even radioactive materials that young children can get on their hands and ingest, especially if they’re crawling or playing on the floor, and poses a cancer risk to anyone who comes into contact.
The risks of second-hand smoke have been substantially documented and people seem to make more of an effort to avoid sharing fumes, but this new study indicates the only way to truly keep loved ones safe is not to smoke at all.
To learn more, read the NY Times article, “A New Cigarette Hazard: ‘Third-Hand Smoke’“
Tags: Health, smoking-and-children, third-hand smoke |
42 Responses to “Third-Hand Reason for Quitting”
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31. Valerie said:
January 7, 2009 @ 3:35 pm
Grandma - Where I live in Florida, there is at least one Hospital that doesn’t allow smoking anywhere on the grounds of the Hospital or any of their medical clinics. I agree, that is taking it way too far.
I also agree that some non-smokers can be very rude around people who smoke. And yes, they are usually ex-smokers. Just because I quit, I don’t condemn anyone else who still smokes. My only hope is that smokers are considerate of those around them. It certainly sounds as though you and Stacey are.
I agree that drunk drivers are just as, if not more, dangerous. I also can’t stand when extremely overweight people judge smokers.
32. Kelly_Belle said:
January 7, 2009 @ 3:38 pm
Here in Florida we haven’t been able to smoke indoors for awhile now. When my husband and I were coming home from CT we stopped in at a Burger King in GA and there was a woman smoking right there at one of the tables. I hadn’t seen that since I was a wee little one!!! I do remember going to visit one of my mom’s friends at work when I was about 5 or 6. She worked at a bank. She was smoking at her station!!! Like I have said, I do smoke socially but I have NO problem with the banning of smoke in a work place, restaurant…or any where. My icky habit should never be someone else’s issue. Melanie has never seen me smoke. I would never smoke around her either, even outside (not saying anything about anyone who does…Melanie just has tons of allergies…thats all). I actually voted to ban smoking in Florida establishments.
My mom and I were talking about this not too long ago. My older sister was “learning” how to go to sleep on her own in her crib (Obviously this was MANY moons ago) and just crying her little heart out. My mother sat in the hall way outside of my sisters bedroom door the whole…smoking!!! Right by my sisters bedroom door! Ugh…I know that when my mom was pregnant they told her to cut back on smoking but she didn’t have to quit! My my how times have changed! When I was pregnant I craved 2 things…beer (which is odd because I really don’t like beer) and a cigarette. During one of my OB/GYN appointments I finally told my doctor about my craving for a cigarette. She starting to giggle and advised me that smoking is not healthy and all that fun lecture stuff that goes with it. And then she looked at me and said if I were to have one every now and then that was my choice. OH MY GOODNESS. Right then I stopped craving one!!! Just listening to someone saying it was okay and it wouldn’t hurt my baby to a point of losing her, and then hearing what the baby would go through….stopped my craving dead in it’s track. Plus it helped telling someone that I wanted one. I could have never of told anyone else…for the fear of the “look”. But my doctor was a safe person…and she confirmed how un-crazy I was.
33. Lauren said:
January 7, 2009 @ 3:47 pm
One of my husband’s relatives claimed chronic headaches for years. She worked for a quack doctor who wrote her endless prescriptions, to which she is addicted still 27 years later, BUT he also told her to take up smoking! He said that the nicotene would shrink the capillaries or vessels in her head and ease the headaches. I don’t know if it worked. I think she just wanted another bad habit or an excuse to smoke. I don’t care for the woman much and we have been careful to keep her on the fringes of our lives for the last 2 years.
Then a friend of mine told me how she kick-started her diet. Apparently, her doctor told her that the sugar in the cigarettes was adding empty calories, so she gave them up. I didn’t even know they put sugar in cigarettes. Anyway, she stuck with it, didn’t lose all that much weight, but lost the smokes.
Has anyone else ever heard of that? I always thought people tended to gain weight after quitting smoking.
34. Valerie said:
January 7, 2009 @ 3:49 pm
You’re right Kelly, indoor smoking has been banned in Florida for a long time. We moved here around 20 years ago when smoking was still allowed in public places. It was maybe 2 or 3 years later when it was finally banned.
35. Valerie said:
January 7, 2009 @ 3:54 pm
Lauren - I have always thought that people gained weight after they quit smoking merely because they use food as a substitution. I quit when I first found out I was pregnant so I gained around 45lbs. HAHA
Of course, I’m sure the baby had something to do with that.
36. Lauren said:
January 7, 2009 @ 4:00 pm
Let me make it clear: I said I do not care for the woman, but it is not because she is a smoker. Not at all.
It is the drama and chaos and poison that she brings into every single person’s life that allows her near them. And I’m not exaggerating.
But that’s for a different blog.
37. Kymberly said:
January 7, 2009 @ 5:37 pm
Mightn’t it be the same quack doctor perhaps? I’m not a smoker but I’m fairly certain they don’t put sugar in cigarettes. I believe it’s the candy and snacking that people are presumed to do instead of smoking that are attributed to weight gain. But what do I know? I’m just a writer. I tend to make sh@3 up.
Honestly, I’m not a smoker, do care about health, and like the no-smoking laws but … third hand smoke? Seriously? My husband probably brings home more toxins on his work clothes - but I hope no one is advocating for his unemployment?
At some point I think the do-goodism enters into the “nanny state.” As they make great points (second hand smoke - got it) they then ramp it up to get those last remaining stalwart smokers on board. When like two smokers are left on the planet they’ll be browbeating them with tales of 19th hand smoke It’s on your RETINAS man and when you glance at someone, even momentarily, it affects them!”
38. Valerie said:
January 7, 2009 @ 5:51 pm
Smoking does leave a residue on everything. I remember back when my girlfriend’s parents both died within a year of each other from lung cancer. She inherited their house and I was helping to clean it out.
Everything including furniture and walls were covered in nicotine. Yellow, brownish stains that took forever to get clean. I don’t know if that stuff is toxic in that form, but why take chances.
Kymberly - I do agree that sometimes this country takes things a little too far. For example - Eggs are bad for you, bacon is bad for you, don’t touch shopping cart handles or bathroom door handles, don’t drink whole milk, etc. How did we children born in the 50’s ever survive as long as we have.
39. GrandmafrKs. said:
January 7, 2009 @ 5:52 pm
Valerie, I agree about over weight ppl giving me the evil eye while they are standing there chugging down a 20 oz bottle of good ole’ dr. pepper or shoving a big mav in their face LOL. as far as sugar in cigarettes oh my gosh I have never heard that either, And yes most ppl who quit smoking gain weight, I am about 110 to 115 and when I was in the hospital for 10 days I put an extra 8 pounds on, I am 5ft 2 and the only weight problem I ever had was my first two pregnacies one baby I gained 47 lbs she weighed 4lbs 2oz born 6 wks early, 2nd baby was 45 lbs and he weighed 6lbs 8oz full term,
I do have a thyroid problem which explains low weight also, but as far as smoking I know my DH gained after he quit 25 yrs ago, I’m so proud of him. I also heard (get this) that is is harder for women than for men to kick the habit, and yes that ticks me off, we women go thru the almost unbearable pain having babies (men don’t) and yet they say we can’t conquer kicking the habit, but I haven’t quit yet. Funny huh? Well I guess one man did have a baby ewww, was that a man? LOL
40. GrandmafrKs. said:
January 7, 2009 @ 5:56 pm
Lauren, I understand what you were saying in your post #36, I think most ppl have one of those in their family, we sure do, When you see her coming you just know “it’s not gonna be pretty”
41. mully said:
January 7, 2009 @ 8:33 pm
I do think that the do gooders in our country tend to take things a bit far and it starts to very much feel like “big brother” has descended upon us at times. But I cant help but agree with what Val said about the leftover residues from cigarette smoking. If that quantifies the theory of 3rd hand smoke then Im not going to put up much of an argument. As I said in an earlier post, my mother smoked for a very long time, but she quit about 15 years before her death. Believe it or not, her apartment and everthing in it, still had a stale cigarette smoke when I went to clean it out.
The worst proof to me was when she still smoked. My husband and I couldnt believe that her once white walls, which were no longer white, had a yellow, sticky film over them which was very stubborn to remove.
I can well imagine that ingesting whatever was covering those walls could probably do someone’s lungs no good.
Another quick story to share: I was shopping at the local mall after work tonight and I was coming out of Macy’s, which you probably all know is a pretty large, somewhat upscale department store. I was leaving the store on my way to my car an as I opened the door into the vestibule I noticed a couple standing there. They were both puffing away, but worse than that, the store’s heater was also blasting very hot air and Im telling you, the mixture of all that smoke and all that heat in what is a fairly small area…I was ready to toss my cookies!
42. Valerie said:
January 8, 2009 @ 12:21 pm
Speaking of Macy’s, I just saw that Macy’s is closing some of its stores. I didn’t read the article yet. I used to shop at Macy’s all the time - not so much anymore.