Here are some of the toxins found in third-hand smoke:
- toluene (found in paint thinners):
- hydrogen cyanide (used in chemical weapons)
- butane (found in lighter fluid)
- arsenic
- lead
- carbon monoxide
- polonium-210 (highly radioactive carcinogen)
We've all heard about second-hand smoke and the negative effects it has on everyone. But did you know that there is also something called, "Third-hand smoke"? It was actually discovered in 2005 as scientists were conducting studies regarding tobacco, nicotine etc. Third-hand smoke, in brief, is an invisible layer of toxins that is left behind long after the cigerette smoke is gone.
Tar is one of the ingredients inside ALL tobacco cigarettes. In fact, the purpose of the filter part of the cigarette was intended to trap the nicotine and tar so that when inhaling the tobacco they would not enter the lungs. The brown part at the end of the filter that you see after inhaling the cigarette is actually the tar. Unfortunately, the filter only traps a portion of the tar and nicotine. The rest of it goes directly to the lungs. However, the brown stain that eventually shows on the teeth and fingers of the smoker is tar. This is known as Third-Hand Smoke, and it is also found on the floor, carpet, furniture, windows, countertops, cupboards, doors and door knobs and every other surface located in the area where the person was smoking. The chemicals listed above are only a few found in the tar that sticks to all of these surfaces.
You can imagine the danger, for instance, of a small baby crawling on the floor or carpet and then putting his hands in his mouth. Older children are known for not washing their hands unless they're told over and over again, so who knows how much third-hand smoke that they are ingesting! Even many adults don't wash their hands as often as they should.
So it's easy to see that this is a major concern that needs to be talked about until everyone is aware of this silent enemy.