By Aly Van Dyke
Parents who smoke already know about the dangers of secondhand smoke, but research has confirmed the existence of a new level of exposure that exists long after the cigarette has been extinguished. Video by Kelci Shipley and Aly Van Dyke.
And Christine Fosher said her husband retreats to the garage to keep the smoke away from their 1-year-old son, Brodey.
But some physicians already say what parents ought to be worried about is a new, controversial threat: thirdhand smoke.
It's the smoke residue that sticks to hair, on clothes and in fabrics and can expose people to tobacco smoke long after the cigarette has been extinguished.
"I think the whole idea of telling people that going outside to smoke was well-intentioned," said Dr. Stephen Lauer, pediatrician with the University of Kansas Hospital. "But it skirts the real issue."
That issue, Lauer said, is the danger of exposure to any smoke, even its residue.
Misty goes outside to smoke to protect her son,
Triston, 1, from secondhand smoke.
Lauer said he advises smoking parents to wear a jacket when they smoke and remove it and wash their hands before holding their child. He also said smokers should ask people if they smell like smoke before handling a child.
Studies
The issue of thirdhand smoke first arose in 2003, when Georg Matt, chair of the department of psychology at San Diego State University, conducted a study that collected air and dust samples from the homes of nonsmokers, smokers with home-smoking bans and smokers who smoke in the home. Each home had at least one had child between 2 months and 13 months old.
Matt (pronounced Maht) found that children living in direct-exposure homes had three-to eight-times more exposure to environmental tobacco smoke than homes that had smoking bans. Households with smoking bans showed five-to seven-times higher tobacco smoke exposure than homes with no exposure.
"Smoking outside reduces exposure, but does not provide protection at a level that a nonsmoking parent will provide," Matt said. "The smoker becomes a source of pollution because the smoker carries those tobacco contaminants around wherever he or she goes."
Since then, several studies have supported Matt's findings in exposure levels of small children.
In 2004, AnnaKarin Johansson found that children had lower levels of exposure to tobacco smoke if their parents smoked exclusively outside in a study published in "Pediatrics."
Lan Liang found in 2008 that smoking in the home increases the probability of both emergency department visits and inpatient care for respiratory problems in children ages 0 to 4.
And a study published in January by Jonathan Winickoff, researcher with the American Academy of Pediatrics, found that smokers and nonsmokers are already concerned about thirdhand smoke.
Controversy
But Matt's study so far is the only one of its kind. As such, researchers say that its results are hardly conclusive.
"Based on existing evidence, there is no reason to believe, other than for people who are especially sensitive to smoke, that thirdhand smoke poses any significant harm," said Mark Siegel, professor of Social & Behavioral Sciences at Boston University School of Public Health.
Siegel said reacting prematurely could undermine people's appreciation of the risks of secondhand smoke, minimize the credibility of the science behind the health effects of smoking and deter people from making home-smoking bans.
"We want smokers to smoke outside the household," he said. "I'm afraid these actions and statements are over-hyping thirdhand smoke and will convince smokers it's just not worth it to smoke outside."
Kim Rice, an employee with the Douglas County office of the American Cancer Society, said while the effects of secondhand smoke in children are accepted science, more studies should be done for health effects of thirdhand smoke.
"It's definitely something to be mindful of, but you kind of have to take it with a grain of salt," she said. "It's something that needs to be looked into more."
Nonetheless, even Siegel doesn't contest the existence of thirdhand smoke. And though a study hasn't been conducted, some experts say the existence of thirdhand smoke is enough to start taking precautions.
Lauer said that despite the lack of evidence, he informs and advises parents about thirdhand smoke to "stay ahead of the curve."
Kalli still worries about her daughter's exposure
to tobacco smoke from the clothes in her
closet and the fabric in her car.
Winickoff led the most recent study on thirdhand smoke, which was credited for coining the term. He said scientists have already proved the health effects of thirdhand smoke.
"All the studies on second hand smoke really are studies about a combination of thirdhand smoke and secondhand smoke," he said. "Some exposure is probably direct, visible tobacco smoke going into child's nose. Some of what they're exposed to is thirdhand. All of these exposures make up the full component of the child's toxic exposure to cigarette smoke."
Winickoff said research on tobacco should shift from health effects to helping people overcome their addictions.
Addiction
Grace is slowly, but surely, learning to walk on her own; though for now she is quite mobile crawling around the duplex.
Kalli said she's concerned about Grace's proximity to the carpet and her clothes and hair, especially if the smoke from her cigarettes lingers there for Grace to inhale.
She said that she does the best she can to protect Grace from cigarette smoke and that she planned on quitting sometime in May.
"As with everything, nothing takes precedence over the addiction," she said. "That's the crappy thing about addictions. It doesn't matter if you love them more than anything, quitting has to be for yourself."
Parents who smoke already know about the dangers of secondhand smoke, but research has confirmed the existence of a new level of exposure that exists long after the cigarette has been extinguished. Video by Kelci Shipley and Aly Van Dyke.
Kalli Sanders already knows the danger of secondhand smoke. The
40-year-old Lawrence resident hasn't smoked in the house since her
daughter, Grace, arrived more than 20 months ago.
And Christine Fosher said her husband retreats to the garage to keep the smoke away from their 1-year-old son, Brodey.
But some physicians already say what parents ought to be worried about is a new, controversial threat: thirdhand smoke.
It's the smoke residue that sticks to hair, on clothes and in fabrics and can expose people to tobacco smoke long after the cigarette has been extinguished.
"I think the whole idea of telling people that going outside to smoke was well-intentioned," said Dr. Stephen Lauer, pediatrician with the University of Kansas Hospital. "But it skirts the real issue."
That issue, Lauer said, is the danger of exposure to any smoke, even its residue.
Misty goes outside to smoke to protect her son,
Triston, 1, from secondhand smoke.
Lauer said he advises smoking parents to wear a jacket when they smoke and remove it and wash their hands before holding their child. He also said smokers should ask people if they smell like smoke before handling a child.
Studies
The issue of thirdhand smoke first arose in 2003, when Georg Matt, chair of the department of psychology at San Diego State University, conducted a study that collected air and dust samples from the homes of nonsmokers, smokers with home-smoking bans and smokers who smoke in the home. Each home had at least one had child between 2 months and 13 months old.
Matt (pronounced Maht) found that children living in direct-exposure homes had three-to eight-times more exposure to environmental tobacco smoke than homes that had smoking bans. Households with smoking bans showed five-to seven-times higher tobacco smoke exposure than homes with no exposure.
"Smoking outside reduces exposure, but does not provide protection at a level that a nonsmoking parent will provide," Matt said. "The smoker becomes a source of pollution because the smoker carries those tobacco contaminants around wherever he or she goes."
Georg Matt: Households contaminated by environmental tobacco smoke: sources of infant exposures
By Aly Van Dyke
The study found higher cotinine levels in children who live in homes with home-smoking bans than in homes where no parents or visitors smoke. This means that while home-smoking bans offer more protection to children, the bans aren't 100 percent effective in protecting children from exposure to tobacco smoke.
By Aly Van Dyke
The study found higher cotinine levels in children who live in homes with home-smoking bans than in homes where no parents or visitors smoke. This means that while home-smoking bans offer more protection to children, the bans aren't 100 percent effective in protecting children from exposure to tobacco smoke.
Since then, several studies have supported Matt's findings in exposure levels of small children.
In 2004, AnnaKarin Johansson found that children had lower levels of exposure to tobacco smoke if their parents smoked exclusively outside in a study published in "Pediatrics."
Lan Liang found in 2008 that smoking in the home increases the probability of both emergency department visits and inpatient care for respiratory problems in children ages 0 to 4.
And a study published in January by Jonathan Winickoff, researcher with the American Academy of Pediatrics, found that smokers and nonsmokers are already concerned about thirdhand smoke.
Controversy
But Matt's study so far is the only one of its kind. As such, researchers say that its results are hardly conclusive.
"Based on existing evidence, there is no reason to believe, other than for people who are especially sensitive to smoke, that thirdhand smoke poses any significant harm," said Mark Siegel, professor of Social & Behavioral Sciences at Boston University School of Public Health.
Siegel said reacting prematurely could undermine people's appreciation of the risks of secondhand smoke, minimize the credibility of the science behind the health effects of smoking and deter people from making home-smoking bans.
"We want smokers to smoke outside the household," he said. "I'm afraid these actions and statements are over-hyping thirdhand smoke and will convince smokers it's just not worth it to smoke outside."
Kim Rice, an employee with the Douglas County office of the American Cancer Society, said while the effects of secondhand smoke in children are accepted science, more studies should be done for health effects of thirdhand smoke.
"It's definitely something to be mindful of, but you kind of have to take it with a grain of salt," she said. "It's something that needs to be looked into more."
Nonetheless, even Siegel doesn't contest the existence of thirdhand smoke. And though a study hasn't been conducted, some experts say the existence of thirdhand smoke is enough to start taking precautions.
Lauer said that despite the lack of evidence, he informs and advises parents about thirdhand smoke to "stay ahead of the curve."
Kalli still worries about her daughter's exposure
to tobacco smoke from the clothes in her
closet and the fabric in her car.
Winickoff led the most recent study on thirdhand smoke, which was credited for coining the term. He said scientists have already proved the health effects of thirdhand smoke.
"All the studies on second hand smoke really are studies about a combination of thirdhand smoke and secondhand smoke," he said. "Some exposure is probably direct, visible tobacco smoke going into child's nose. Some of what they're exposed to is thirdhand. All of these exposures make up the full component of the child's toxic exposure to cigarette smoke."
Winickoff said research on tobacco should shift from health effects to helping people overcome their addictions.
Addiction
Grace is slowly, but surely, learning to walk on her own; though for now she is quite mobile crawling around the duplex.
Kalli said she's concerned about Grace's proximity to the carpet and her clothes and hair, especially if the smoke from her cigarettes lingers there for Grace to inhale.
She said that she does the best she can to protect Grace from cigarette smoke and that she planned on quitting sometime in May.
"As with everything, nothing takes precedence over the addiction," she said. "That's the crappy thing about addictions. It doesn't matter if you love them more than anything, quitting has to be for yourself."
The tobacco smoke of one cigarette contains dozens of hazardous chemicals, including the following: Hydrogen cyanide (.5 mg), poisonous; Ammonia (.13mg), toxic, used in industrial refrigeration; Harman (.0031mg), mutagen, neurotoxin and carcinogen. The smoke was deemed a Class-A carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1993.
