Health scare of the week: The perils of ‘third-hand’ smoke

People who hate the smell of tobacco smoke often refuse to ride in cars or spend time in rooms where smokers have been puffing away. A new study has found that there is a good health reason for this aversion. Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California studied traces of cigarette smoke on a variety of indoor surfaces, including the cab of a pickup truck used by a heavy smoker. They found that nicotine in the smoke stays on many surfaces for months, and combines with a common compound called nitrous acid to form a potent carcinogen. This dangerous residue—dubbed “third-hand smoke”—can coat surfaces in a home, where children and infants are very likely to pick it up on their hands and transfer it to their mouths. If a smoker has been present, researchers tell the London Daily Telegraph, it’s advisable to give cabinets, floors, rugs, and other surfaces a thorough cleaning. And when the smoking has gone on for years, the safest bet is to replace furniture and carpets.

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