Third-hand smoke is the chemical residue from tobacco smoke. She is in dust and on surfaces following someone has smoked. The children are particularly vulnerable because they touch many elements in the house while playing. After putting their hands on the rug, table tops, toys, clothes, or anything else, they touch their mouths and faces.
A team of researchers from San Diego State University and the University of Cincinnati studied children’s exposure to third-hand smoke. The researchers used a new method for swabbing the hands of children aged 11 and under. They measured nicotine levels present in the body of participants, which is an indicator of exposure to third-hand smoke.
Reducing the exposure of children with third-hand smoke imposes itself. It concerns the prohibition of smoking in houses and cars. But a new study published in JAMA Network suggests that these individual protection measures once morest third-hand smoke are insufficient.
What is the level of exposure to third-hand smoke?
Over 97% of the 504 children participating in the study had some level of nicotine on their hands. Even more surprisingly, more than 95% of children living in non-smoking homes or in homes where smoking is prohibited still had nicotine on their hands.
Professor Georg Matt, professor of psychology at SDSU and director of the Thirdhand Smoke Resource Center, mentioned that this study fills an important gap. It made it possible to use clinical populations. Previous research has focused on passive smoking.
Melinda Mahabee-Gittens, a pediatric emergency physician and clinical researcher at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, led data collection for the project. She spoke of the importance of integrating third-hand smoke into parenting programs smoking cessation education.
Does family income influence exposure to third-hand smoke?
The hands of children from low-income families presented a lot more nicotine than those of children from high-income families. Children of black parents had a higher amount of nicotine on the hands than children of white or multiracial parents.
« This is a wake-up call to protect vulnerable children. This study further highlights the importance of the quality of indoor environments. »
Professor of Public Health at SDSU, Matt Penelope Quintana
Scientists plan to expand the study to other markers of nicotine exposure in order to study the results on the health.
SOURCE : SCITECHDAILY
