3rd Hand Smoke – Lexington-Fayette Co. Health Dept.

Angela Brumley-Shelton, with the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department, drops by the studio to talk with Eric Burke about the harmful effects of third-hand smoke, especially to children.

Third hand smoke refers to residue that remains on surfaces in areas where people have smoked. It is most hazardous to children, and can contain harmful chemicals like formaldehyde, benzene, and tobacco specific nitrosamines, all known to cause cancer.

When tobacco is burned and smoked, a chemical reaction creates additional toxins that are released into the air. The most notable is nitrous acid, which mixes with dust in the home or building where tobacco was consumed.  This dust-acid mixture irritates the eyes and lungs, and can quickly reach toxic levels.

During the past three years the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department’s Tobacco Program has worked on a project to educate child care center staff, parents, and grandparents about thirdhand smoke.  They chose to focus on child care centers because if their caregivers smoke, children are exposed to thirdhand smoke throughout the day. Ideally, child care centers will voluntarily adopt and enforce a policy with the following components:

• No smoking allowed on child care center property and no smoking areas, including e-cigarettes;
• Employees may not report for work smelling of smoke or strong scents used to mask smoke;
• Employees may not leave the property or go to vehicles during breaks to smoke, including e-cigarettes.

For more information on 3rd hand smoke, visit lexingtonhealthdepartment.org, or call (859) 252-2371.