Third Hand Smoke

All of us knew that smoking is not good for health. Second hand smoke is worse. Some studies shows that people exposed to second hand smoke have higher risk than the smoker themselves.

Recently, if was found that third hand smoke is as bad too. When a person smoke, the invisible and toxic brew of gases and particles clinging on smokers' hair, clothing, cushion, carpet and etc. According to Rabin 2009, the residue includes heavy metals, carcinogens, and even radioactive materials that young children get on their hands and ingest, especially if they are crawling or playing on the floor.

Some parents would open the windows, smoke outside the house and etc.. believing that the children are saved from second hand smoke. However, many of them are yet to realised the harm that third hand smoke might bring.

All of us are aware of the health risks of smoking like lung cancer, heart diseases and etc. Thus, please quit smoking not only for yourself, but for the benefit of your children's future too. I believe no one like to be guilty when our children diagnosed with cancer 10 years later because we smoke now. Remember, the effects of the cigarette might comes only after a while. May be that's why the cause of cancer to most patients are still unknown.

Source: Rabin, R.C. 2009, A New Cigarette Hazard: ‘Third-Hand Smoke’ , New York Times, 3 January 2009 [Online] Available: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/03/health/research/03smoke.html?_r=1