An environment saturated with cigarette or “third-hand smoke” exposes you to the same danger of first-hand smoking. This is among the findings of a study conducted by a scientist from the University of California, Riverside. The study is a warning for everyone, smokers and non-smokers alike, not to smoke or get exposed to second or third-hand smoke. The reason: they are just as dangerous as the first-hand smoke.
The study led by Cell Biology professor Manuela Martins-Green was conducted on mice to determine the effects of third-hand smoke on different organ systems. The conditions simulated third-hand smoke humans are exposed to. Significant damages occur in several organs, particularly the liver and lung. The mice had hyperactivity and their wounds healed longer.
Defining First-Hand, Second-Hand and Third-Hand Smoke
First-hand smoke is the smoke inhaled by a person who uses a smoking product while second-hand smoke refers to the smoke exhaled and other substances emitting from the burning product like cigarette. Third-hand smoke is the second-hand smoke that settles on surfaces, objects, and the environment around people. As time passes, this ages and becomes more toxic. The substance is called ‘carcinogen’, an agent directly causing cancer. Such carcinogens are what non-smoking family members, friends, and colleagues of smokers inhale.
Potential Dangers of Third-Hand Smoke
The research notes that tobacco products ranks as one of the biggest public health threats in the world, killing an estimated six million people a year. Tobacco smoking has affected approximately 1.5 billion people around the globe. The result of the study published in the journal PLOS ONE reveals that third-hand smoke persists in the environment even after smokers have already moved out. Re-emission of nicotine coming from contaminated surfaces can lead to nicotine exposure of the same level similar to smoking. Other studies warn that third hand smoke poses more serious health threat to young children.
Apart from the damaging effects of third-hand smoke in multiple organ systems, the team of Professor Martins-Green also warns about the significant risks in children. Prolonged exposure to second and third-hand smoke can lead to children developing severe neurological disorders. The team was alarmed at how damaging third-hand smoke can be, with its effect extending to several parts of the body.
Although there is still much to learn about how cigarette smoke residues can harm non-smokers, the research team has found that third-hand smoke can lead to type II diabetes even if an individual is not obese. Children are more at risk to acquire multiple short-term and life-time health problems that may not fully manifest until later. There is more danger for children living in homes where one or two adults smoke. The abundance of smoke, in second and third hand, exposes children and other people to unnecessary illnesses that could be easily avoided if only nobody smokes around.
The Need for More Reseach
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports about the potential harm cigarette smoking can inflict on nearly every organ of the human body. Smoking cigarette is attributed to an estimated 440,000 deaths each year in the US alone. The annual death toll is higher than HIV, drug and alcohol use, and accident-related injuries. CDC data points out the adverse effect of second-hand smoke on the cardiovascular system, leading to coronary heart disease and premature death from heart illness.
With such alarming death rate due to cigarette smoking, the research team encourages more animal experiments to evaluate the harmful biological effects of being exposed to third-hand smoke. Findings and analyses arising from future studies can be used to determine the potential threats of third-hand smoke to human health, perform clinical trials, and formulate policies for possible reduction of risks.