The Headline:
“Parents who limit their smoking to the garden could still be harming their children,” warns The Daily Telegraph. The newspaper says this is because children can inhale toxins that remain on the clothes, hair and skin after smoking, which it terms as ‘third-hand smoke’. The story is based on a US research study.
NHS Choices says that:
This large survey highlights the fact that a considerable proportion of people are not aware of the dangers of lingering toxins from cigarette smoke. There are some points to note when interpreting this research:
- The survey was taken in 2005, and beliefs may have changed since then. Also, the survey was carried out in the US and may not be representative of beliefs in other parts of the world.
- The degree of danger caused by “third-hand smoke” was not assessed in this study.
- Because the study was cross-sectional and did not ask about people’s motivation for home smoking bans, it cannot prove that their third-hand smoke beliefs caused them to ban smoking in their homes. However, it makes sense that these beliefs, among others, might influence a decision about whether to allow smoking in the home.
- The study does not assess whether education about the harms of third hand smoke will affect smoking in the home or smoking rates in general. Further research will be needed to determine if this is the case.
Contrary to The Daily Telegraph’s message (which highlights the dangers of smoking even outside the house), the main conclusion of the authors of this paper is that knowledge about the dangers of third-hand smoke is associated with home smoking bans. They say that informing people about the dangers may motivate them to take the positive step of having a smoking ban in their homes.
The authors acknowledge that toxins may still be found on clothes, or enter via windows and doors, and that a smoking ban at home should ideally be accompanied by efforts to stop smoking altogether.
Links to the Headlines:
Parents who smoke only in garden may still harm children, doctors warn. The Daily Telegraph, January 6 2009
Warning over 'third-hand smoke'. BBC online, January 6 2009
Links to the Science:
Winickoff JP, Friebely J, Tanski SE, et al. Beliefs About the Health Effects of "Thirdhand" Smoke and Home Smoking Bans. Pediatrics 2009; 123;e74-e79
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