Heard of Second Hand Smoke, Now Third Hand Smoke is a Danger.study finds

New study finds that tobacco residue clinging to surfaces is also bad for you. In a age when we know smoking and second hand smoke is bad for us, turns out residue on surfaces is also bad for us says a study which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

When a cigarette burns, nicotine is released in the form of a vapour that collects and condenses on indoor surfaces such as walls, carpeting, drapes and furniture, where it can linger for months

A corresponding author of the study, Hugo Detaillats explains, “ When residual nicotine reacts with ambient nitrous acid it forms carcinogenic tobacco- specific nitrosamines, or TSNAs. TSNAs are among the most broadly acting and potent carcinogens present in unburned tobacco and tobacco smoke”.

Exposure to TSNA happens through inhalation of dust or contact of skin with carpet or clothing.

Smoking outdoors, opening a window or turning on a fan to air out a room while the cigarette burns does not eliminate the hazard of third-hand smoke. The smoke will stick to a smoker’s skin. The biggest risk is to young children.
You Can Quit Smoking Too