Research Raises Concerns about Thirdhand Smoke

Health care providers are more and more concerned about effects on body which thirdhand smoke has. How thirdhand smoke is defined? It the residue from tobacco smoke which remains on curtains, carpets, clothing, couches, and dust particles. In other words, when you enter a room or flat several hours after a man was smoking there,

How to Protect Your Family from Tobacco Smoke

You probably heard about Smokey and the Bandit, Smokey Robinson, Smokey Bear. Those smoky personages were popular few decades ago but even today may be observed their impact on pop culture. Same thing is with second- and thirdhand smoke. Recently researchers found that even in case a woman never smoked cigarettes, her lifetime exposure to

Total smoking bans effectively help smokers quit

To protect nonsmokers, many cities have banned smoking in public places, but a recent study shows that total smoking bans - in the home or public places - help smokers to cut back or quit completely.

The researchers, from the University of California-San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine, published their results in the journal Preventive Medicine. Dr. Wael K. Al-Delaimy, from UCSD and study author, says that California was the very first state to ban public smoking in certain places in 1994.

According to the County of San Diego, California state law prohibits smoking within 20 feet of entrances, exits and windows of public buildings. And regarding private buildings and residences, many management companies put policies in place that prohibit smoking at their facilities. Many cities have also enacted smoking bans in recent years.

The city of Beverly Hills, for example, initiated smoking restrictions in outdoor dining areas in 2007 - deemed the "90210 Fresh Air Dining" ordinance. A year after it was put in place, the city reported positive feedback.

According to Smoke-Free San Diego, over 440,000 people in the US die each year from tobacco-related diseases, making it the leading cause of preventable death. Along with causing cancer and cardiovascular disease, smoking creates increased risks for infertility, preterm delivery, stillbirth and low birth weights.

Though the negative effects of first- and second-hand smoke have been widely reported, the issue of third-hand smoke has recently become a hot topic.

Third-hand smoke encompasses everything left after a cigarette is put out, including toxic particulates that stick to hair, clothing, cars and carpets, among other surfaces.