Cellular effects of thirdhand tobacco smoke from smokers’ homes

Handwashing Results in Incomplete Nicotine Removal from Fingers of Individuals who Smoke: A Randomized Controlled Experiment

OBJECTIVE

Tobacco residue, also known as third-hand smoke (THS), contains toxicants and lingers in dust and on surfaces and clothes. THS also remains on hands of individuals who smoke, with potential transfer to infants during visitation while infants are hospitalized in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), raising concerns (e.g., hindered respiratory development) for vulnerable infants. Previously unexplored, this study tested handwashing (HW) and sanitization efficacy for finger-nicotine removal in a sample of adults who smoked and were visiting infants in an NICU.

STUDY DESIGN

A cross-sectional sample was recruited to complete an interview, carbon monoxide breath samples, and three nicotine wipes of separate fingers (thumb, index, and middle). Eligible participants (n = 14) reported current smoking (verified with breath samples) and were randomly assigned to 30 seconds of HW (n = 7) or alcohol-based sanitization (n = 7), with the order of finger wipes both counterbalanced and randomly assigned. After randomization, the first finger was wiped for nicotine. Participants then washed or sanitized their hands and finger two was wiped 5 minutes later. An interview assessing tobacco/nicotine use and exposure was then administered, followed by a second breath sample and the final finger wipe (40-60 minutes after washing/sanitizing).

RESULTS

Generalized linear mixed models found that HW was more effective than sanitizer for nicotine removal but failed to completely remove nicotine.

CONCLUSIONS

Without proper protections (e.g., wearing gloves and gowns), NICU visitors who smoke may inadvertently expose infants to THS. Research on cleaning protocols are needed to protect vulnerable medical populations from THS and associated risks.

KEY POINTS

· NICU infants may be exposed to THS via visitors.. · THS is not eliminated by HW or sanitizing.. · THS removal protections for NICU infants are needed..

Thirdhand smoke beliefs and behaviors among families of primary school children in Shanghai

INTRODUCTION

There are few reports on the beliefs about thirdhand smoke in Chinese families with primary school children. This study aims to understand the beliefs about thirdhand smoke among parents or grandparents of primary school children in Shanghai and to provide an evidence base to incorporate thirdhand smoke preventative action into tobacco control interventions.

METHODS

We performed a cross-sectional survey among parents and grandparents of children aged 6–13 years in the Changjiang Road Primary School and recruited 843 participants to make assessments on the ‘beliefs about thirdhand smoke’ (BATHS) scale. Sociodemographic details including age, gender, marital status, education level, personal income and type of home ownership (new house, secondhand house with or without redecoration) and health status of children (whether they suffered from respiratory diseases or not) were investigated. Scale assessment, univariate and multivariate analyses to explore the factors influencing the BATHS scale and subscale scores, were performed using SPSS version 22.0.

RESULTS

Participants who were aged >65 years were more likely to get lower scores on the BATHS scale (OR=0.476; 95% CI: 0.311–0.728, p=0.001). Undergraduates (OR=1.190; 95% CI: 1.020–1.388, p=0.027) and graduates (OR=1.4490; 95% CI: 1.102–1.906, p=0.008) obtained higher scores. Moreover, the scores of residents living in a secondhand house with redecoration (OR=0.882; 95% CI: 0.782–0.995, p=0.041) and without redecoration (OR=0.801; 95% CI: 0.698–0.919, p=0.002) were lower compared with those of new-house owners. The scores for participants whose children suffered from respiratory diseases in the past six months (OR=1.104; 95% CI: 1.003–1.216, p=0.043) were higher than those whose children had no respiratory diseases.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that younger people, females, those with higher incomes, and higher education levels, were more likely to believe the thirdhand smoke impacts on health and its persistence in the environment. Our findings can guide targeted actions for smoke-free home interventions.

Update on thirdhand smoke: A comprehensive systematic review

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to perform a comprehensive review of the literature about thirdhand smoke (THS).

METHODS

Systematic review of all aspects of THS. Standard methodological procedures were used to search the following databases through April 2018: MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Web of Science (WOS) in Indo-European languages. To identify published grey literature, the first 200 hits from Google Scholar™ were evaluated. Clinical trial databases, conference proceedings, and reference lists from the identified articles were also searched. Two unblinded review authors independently assessed trials for inclusion in the review. These same reviewers also extracted study data in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42018083619).

RESULTS

Sixty-eight articles were included in this systematic review. Of these, 28 analyzed the concentration of nicotine as a component of THS (the most commonly-used method to measure THS in those studies was chromatography, followed by the mass spectrometry), 21 evaluated the exposure and impact of THS on health (11 studies analyzed the effect of THS in cells [human and animal], 4 in animals, 1 in adults, and 5 in children), 16 investigated the beliefs, behaviours, and policies related to THS, and 3 evaluated other aspects such as THS in e-cigarettes or hookahs. In these 68 studies, THS was determined by measuring the following components: nicotine (30 studies), nitrosamines (17 studies) and cotinine (15 studies). The findings from most of these studies suggest a potential health impact of THS exposure (i.e.: cytotoxicity, metabolic alterations in metabolism, in glycemia; or cell structure; alterations in liver, lung, skin and behaviour in mice), and low awareness about the risks of THS among the general population.

CONCLUSIONS

Numerous specific biomarkers of THS were evaluated, with the most common being nicotine, nitrosamines, and cotinine. The most common method of preparing THS dust samples were cotton wipes, while chromatography, used alone or coupled with mass spectrometry, was the most common analytical technique. We have tried to establish common bases after reviewing all the current literature of the THS although, there is great heterogeneity between the studies and we have not always succeeded. The studies in this review demonstrate the harmful effects of THS on health in cells, in animal models, and in people including children. However, in people, the long-term effects remain unknown and more research is needed. These studies show that knowledge about THS and its potential harmful effects are poorly understood among the general population. For this reason, THS should receive greater emphasis in education and awareness policies.