Thirdhand smoke: when the danger is more than you can see or smell

Third-hand smoke perception and awareness among medical students: a survey study

Third-hand smoke (THS) is tobacco smoke impurities that adhere to indoor materials such as clothing, dust, and surfaces and are released into the air. It is a major public health concern that, if unaddressed, could cause future harm. The aim of this study was to assess medical students' knowledge of THS and to increase awareness. In March and April 2023, students enrolled in the medical programs at the School of Medicine for the 2022-2023 academic year were contacted using an online Google survey method and asked to complete the survey questions. The survey included questions on participants' sociodemographic characteristics and the Beliefs about Third-Hand Smoke Scale (BATHS-T). The median age of the 351 students who voluntarily participated in the study was 20.0 (IQR = 2.0) years, 55.3% were female and 16% were smokers. The mean score of the answers given by the participants to the scale questions asking their level of knowledge about third-hand smoke was 35.3 ± 5.9. The least known question was "cigarette smoke particles can stay in a room for weeks". The most frequently answered question was "breathing the air in a room where people smoked yesterday can damage the health of babies and children". Scale scores were significantly higher for participants who did not have smokers living in their home, who did not allow smoking in their home, and who reported having information about passive smoking. Medical students had sufficient knowledge and awareness of third-hand smoke. Third-hand smoke should be included in training to increase knowledge and awareness of medical students as part of preventive medicine practice.

The beliefs of medical faculty students about thirdhand smoke

INTRODUCTION

Thirdhand smoke is the toxic remnant, including pollutants and by-products, of tobacco smoke that remains in the environment after the use of tobacco products. This study aimed to evaluate the relationships between the demographic characteristics and the beliefs about thirdhand smoke of medical faculty students.

METHODS

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 392 medical faculty students at Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University. All the participants completed the Beliefs About ThirdHand Smoke (BATHS) questionnaire. Demographic data such as age, gender, year of study, family income level, and place of residence were recorded and evaluated together with tobacco product usage status. Factors (demographic data such as gender) affecting the BATHS scale and sub-scales were analyzed using SPSS software.

RESULTS

The study included 392 medical students. The students comprised 59.7% females and 40.3% males. The students had never used tobacco products (68.1%), 13% were previous users, and 18.9% were active users. The majority of the students stated that thirdhand smoke was harmful to the health of children (90%) and adults (85%) and that thirdhand smoke could remain in a room for days (79%). When the relationships were evaluated between the BATHS scale overall and the health and permanence subscales, and the demographic characteristics of the students, no statistically significant difference was determined according to gender, place of residence, family income level, and tobacco use status.

CONCLUSIONS

This study has provided information for the first time about the beliefs of medical faculty students about thirdhand smoke, and the relationships were investigated between these beliefs and gender, place of residence, family income level, and tobacco use status. The results of the study demonstrated that the students had a strong awareness of the harm of thirdhand smoke and of environmental permanence, and these beliefs did not change according to their own tobacco use status.

Content of toxic components of cigarette, cigarette smoke vs cigarette butts: A comprehensive systematic review

The commercially sold cigarettes contain more than 7000 chemicals, and their combustion produces potential toxicants in mainstream smoke (MS), sidestream smoke (SS), secondhand smoke (SHS), thirdhand smoke (THS), and discarded cigarette butts (CBs). We conducted a systematic review of published literature to compare the toxicants produced in each of these phases of tobacco combustion (MS, SS, and CBs). The initial search included 12,301 articles, but after screening and final restrictions considering the aims of this review, 159 published studies were selected for inclusion. Additionally, SHS and THS are briefly discussed here. Overall, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and other aromatic hydrocarbons have been represented in more studies than other compounds. However, metals and nitrosamines were detected in higher concentrations than other components in SS. The concentrations of most PAHs and other aromatic hydrocarbons in MS and SS are higher compared to concentrations found in CBs. Also, the concentrations of all the studied carbonyl compounds, aldehydes and ketones in SS and MS were higher than in CBs. The mean levels of alcohols and phenols in SS were higher than those reported for both MS and CBs. Tobacco toxicants are inhaled by smokers and transmitted to the environment through SS, SHS, THS, and discarded CBs. However, further studies are necessary to assess adverse effects of toxicants found in CBs and THS not only on human health, but also on the environment and ecosystems. The results of this review provide updated information on the chemical contents of MS, SS, SHS, THS, and CBs. It adds to the growing understanding that smoking creates major health problems for smokers and passive smokers, but also that it generates environmental hazards with consequences to the ecosystems and human health through discarded CBs, SHS, and THS exposure.

Influence of Domestic Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons on Women's Periconceptional Stage and Associated Risk of Oral Cleft in Offspring

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Exposure to secondhand smoke among patients with asthma: a cross-sectional study

Objective

To estimate the frequency of secondhand smoke exposure among patients with asthma.

Methods

A cross-sectional study of asthma patients and non-asthmatic controls using questionnaires to identify secondhand smoke exposure at home, school, work, and public places.

Results

We studied 544 severe asthma patients, 452 mild/moderate asthma patients, and 454 non-asthmatic patients. Among severe patients, the mean age was 51.9 years, 444 (81.6%) were female, 74 (13.6%) were living with a smoker, 383 (71.9%) reported exposure in public spaces and, of the 242 (44.5%) who worked/ studied, 46 (19.1%) reported occupational exposure. Among those with mild/moderate asthma, the mean age was 36.8 years, 351 (77.7%) were female, 50 (11.1%) reported living with a smoker, 381 (84.9%) reported exposure in public settings and, of the 330 (73.0%) who worked/ studied, 58 (17.7%) reported occupational exposure. An association between secondhand smoke exposure and disease control was found among patients with mild/moderate asthma. Among those interviewed, 71% of severe asthma patients and 63% of mild/moderate asthma patients avoided certain places due to fear of secondhand smoke exposure.

Conclusion

Secondhand smoke exposure is a situation frequently reported by a significant proportion of asthma patients. Individuals with asthma are exposed to this agent, which can hamper disease control, exacerbate symptoms and pose unacceptable limitations to their right to come and go in public settings.