Third hand smoke and babies

[Feanor2]

I have come to understand that this concept of “third hand smoke” is of some importance in providing an optimal environment for raising children.

When a person smokes in an enclosed area the residue will accumulate on surfaces such as toys and indeed, everything, and the child will mouth these things.

Many people are aware of the dangers of secondary smoke but not so much in the area of third hand smoke.

Some recommendations that can be helpful for smokers caring for infant and children:

1. Not smoking in the home.
2. If one smokes outside one should wean an over garment to remove before cuddling with the infant/child.
3. If one has quit completely clean walls and carpet.

Overall, if you can smell smoke then you baby may be harmed by this.

 

[CHRISTINE77]

I have come to understand that this concept of “third hand smoke” is of some importance in providing an optimal environment for raising children.

When a person smokes in an enclosed area the residue will accumulate on surfaces such as toys and indeed, everything, and the child will mouth these things.

Many people are aware of the dangers of secondary smoke but not so much in the area of third hand smoke.

Some recommendations that can be helpful for smokers caring for infant and children:

1. Not smoking in the home.
2. If one smokes outside one should wean an over garment to remove before cuddling with the infant/child.
3. If one has quit completely clean walls and carpet.

Overall, if you can smell smoke then you baby may be harmed by this.

I don’t smoke, but I have to say these 2nd and 3rd hand smoke alarmists are getting out of control. Most people of my generation were raised by parents who smoked, and we turned out perfectly healthy.

 

[apromisemade]

Third hand smoke?

Wow, I can’t believe that didn’t occur to me before. Makes total sense when you think about it though.

Why people still smoke at all is just beyond me. I totally get the addictive properties of it and peer pressure as kids and what not, but it still just hardly seems worth it.

Go figure.

 

[mommybug47]

Just a goofy 3rd hand smoke story… I moved into a totally repainted home that had had smokers in it…

One very cold night I decided to plug in a steam vaporizer to fight a cold, I woke up in the morning with brown ooze dripping down the walls, YUCK. it took me a while to figure out that the vinegar that I put in the vaporizer to clean it out reacted with the tar and tobacco in the walls and out it came. It took hours to clean up, but then we purged every room in the house!

 

[Catholic90]

Just a goofy 3rd hand smoke story… I moved into a totally repainted home that had had smokers in it…

One very cold night I decided to plug in a steam vaporizer to fight a cold, I woke up in the morning with brown ooze dripping down the walls, YUCK. it took me a while to figure out that the vinegar that I put in the vaporizer to clean it out reacted with the tar and tobacco in the walls and out it came. It took hours to clean up, but then we purged every room in the house!

The people who moved in a few doors down from us had this happen to them. The former owners were both very heavy smokers and had lived there for about 10 years. They had repainted all the rooms right before they sold it. However, the next winter when the new owners ran a humidifier, every wall oozed brown. It was nasty. They had to do major cleaning and repainting. Gross.

 

[angiegirl67]

I don’t smoke, but I have to say these 2nd and 3rd hand smoke alarmists are getting out of control. Most people of my generation were raised by parents who smoked, and we turned out perfectly healthy.

There is actually a huge connection between second / third hand smoke and SIDS. So keep the smokers away from the babies, if possible.

Angela

 

[Feanor2]

Both of my parents smoked (my mom did when she was pregnant with me) and I have asthma and allergies that very well may be connected. As a child my doctor asked my parents to not smoke in the home but they continued.

I used to not really believe in the third hand smoke thing but then when thinking about the toys and other stuff babies put in their mouths I can see this as harmful, even if not catastrophically so.

I am glad to see they are increasing the taxes on tobacco here in NC. I do drink and I would like to see them increase the taxes on this as well- I mean I choose the vice so I can’t complain about the price!

 

[Peacefulwishes]

I don’t smoke, but I have to say these 2nd and 3rd hand smoke alarmists are getting out of control. Most people of my generation were raised by parents who smoked, and we turned out perfectly healthy.

That’s not necessarily true. Asthma is the perfect example. The rate of those affected has skyrocketed over the last century. And this is just ONE example. Other ailments, like allergies, are linked to air pollutants - such as smoke.

These ailments are so typical in our environment these days that they are often overlooked as true ailments!

 

[whatevergirl]

I agree with this–

If you* must *smoke just don’t do it around babies. Or in your home where a baby lives.

Don’t do it around me, either.

I just wish smoking would be banned. No need to throw tomatoes at me over that comment, it’s just how I feel about the habit.

 

[vluvski]

Any suggestions how to handle tactfully chain smokers who, by relation, are “entitled” to hold and cuddle the baby? Grandparents or aunts/uncles, for example…

 

[GhostMan]

There is actually a huge connection between second / third hand smoke and SIDS. So keep the smokers away from the babies, if possible.

Angela

I am violently opposed to smoking. It’s not allowed in my house, my cars or on my property. I hate the smell that happens even with third-hand smoke. That being said, I’d have to see some proof, in the form of scientific or medical studies, that link third-hand smoke with SIDS.

I thought society went over-board with second-hand smoke, some states even thinking of making it a form of abuse punishable by the removal of children. I’d hate to see the hysteria again but for an even more distant cause.

I would not let my children play with toys that had third-hand smoke, but neither would I let them play with toys that have old food smears on them. We have to keep things in perspective until they are proven with research and peer-reviewed studies, not our own biases toward an activity we think is horrible.

 

[Feanor2]

Any suggestions how to handle tactfully chain smokers who, by relation, are “entitled” to hold and cuddle the baby? Grandparents or aunts/uncles, for example…

For me in regards to my Mom and my upcoming daughter in June I will stress it so much. She (and my Father) knows to not smoke around her. My mother does not smoke in her home now.

Regarding third hand smoke I think it would be a minor issue in my mind as she will be around third hand smoke so little. I also would feel bad about saying this to my mother.

Regarding the tobacco industry due to this habit, thousands are employed so for now I see no alternative.

 

[AHapka]

I am glad to see they are increasing the taxes on tobacco here in NC. I do drink and I would like to see them increase the taxes on this as well- I mean I choose the vice so I can’t complain about the price!

Why would you like to see the taxes increased as alcohol? It’s in a totally different category then smoking. Jesus drank, but I’ve never seen it even suggested that he smoked.

Plus drinking can be good for you, smoking isn’t.

 

[whatevergirl]

Why would you like to see the taxes increased as alcohol? It’s in a totally different category then smoking. Jesus drank, but I’ve never seen it even suggested that he smoked.

Plus drinking can be good for you, smoking isn’t.

Agreed, drinking occasionally is not bad, smoking has no redeeming quality whatsoever.

 

[tapiocapudding]

I’ve always known this intuitively and so requested my DH wash his hands before touching the baby after he comes indoors from smoking (he smokes on our balcony). When the baby was really tiny he used to change his shirt too.
But even still people think he’s a bad parent because he smokes at all. And I don’t think that’s right.
People who do not smoke are far removed from the reality of smoking. Smokers, the vast majority of them do not want to smoke. They’ve tried to quit, they’ve prayed to quit, they hate spending money on smokes, they hate smelling like grossness but they can’t stop. The only people I know who smoke and don’t want to quit are teenagers and those who believe they are unable to quit.
Quitting is extremely hard. People acknowledge it, but I don’t think many understand how hard it is. My DH has tried to quit on 6 seperate occaisions, and he’s never lasted more than a week. He knows we need the money for more important things. He knows it clings to his clothes when he hugs the baby. He feels terrible about it. But no matter how much he really wants to quit he always starts again. It’s not just the physical addiction. Nicotine is addictive but there’s also the habit of periodically stopping what you’re doing to have a smoke break.
I think it’s wrong to smoke in a house with kids. But I understand why people do it. Most smokers have a cigarette every 2 or 3 hours at least. If a SAHP is home with the kids all day they’ll start craving the smoke and the choice is either light up inside or leave the kids unattended. We need a concrete solution to this problem.
It is wrong to litter and leave cigarette butts all over the place. Portable ashtrays need to become more prevalent. Cities need to enforce bylaws against littering but we also need more butt stops at bus stops and along the sidewalks. We need more trashcans.
I think governments need to seriously subsidize nicotine replacement therapy. Those patches are expensive. Oh sure, it’s much cheaper than continuing to smoke. But most smokers need several rounds of the things to quit and for many the start up cost is prohibitive. We need more support for smokers who want to quit.
I don’t know what the answer to smoking is. I know most smokers wish they’d never started. I know most smokers really despise the habit and feel guilty and rotten about it. I don’t think it’s right that the government still sells and taxes the hell out of a product that kills every second user. Making it more expensive isn’t helping people quit. Smokers are disproportionately from lower socioeconomic statuses. It’s not right to punish users of an extremely addictive product for their addiction.
The vast majority of smokers don’t smoke ‘in moderation’. With alcohol you can buy a case of beer and make it last a week or two if you want. I don’t know any smokers who buy a pack and make it last weeks. I don’t know what the answer is but I don’t think it’s fair to blame smokers or to demonize anyone who happens to be a smoker and still hugs their baby.
It’s easy to say ‘if my parents/ brother/ family cared about my kids they would just quit smoking so we wouldn’t have to deal with third hand smoke’ but it’s not that simple! Even smokers who do their best to smoke away from kids, to wash their hands before holding a baby are looked down on as bad people. Can you imagine how that feels?
Certainly there are inconsiderate smokers who leave butts everywhere, smoke in the car with kids and blow smoke in people’s faces while cackling maniacly. But I think more smokers are away of the health risk they pose to others and do their best to minimize that risk.
Maybe it isn’t healthy for old Aunt Abby to hold your new bundle after she’s been out smoking. But if you’re only seeing Aunt Abby for a short time. Unless your child has allergies or other serious issues, I don’t think it’s fair to tell her that even after she’s washed her hands she can’t hold the baby. There are soooo many risks in our environment and our lives. Allowing a smoker who smokes outside and washes their hands first to play with your kids can’t be the worst there is out there.

 

[shannyk]

I just wish smoking would be banned. No need to throw tomatoes at me over that comment, it’s just how I feel about the habit.

:thumbsup:hear hear:thumbsup::thumbsup:WG I can’t agree more. Throw tomatoes all you want, I will still hold the same opinion and will vote for it if it were to come to one in my city/state.

There was another thread on this awhile back and I pointed out how on I think it was Myth Busters? awhile back, they did an experiment with clothes of smokers. They measured how much carbon monoxide their clothes ‘off gassed’ and for how long after they had smoked. Turns out there was still CO2 coming off the clothes even after being washed!! Even I was surprised at that one.

It’s no wonder SIDS is associated with babies having a smoking parent. Feanor 2 you are on the right track with your upcoming addition’s health:thumbsup:

 

[Catholic90]

They’ve tried to quit, they’ve prayed to quit, they hate spending money on smokes, they hate smelling like grossness but they can’t stop.


Quitting is extremely hard. People acknowledge it, but I don’t think many understand how hard it is. My DH has tried to quit on 6 seperate occaisions, and he’s never lasted more than a week. There is a saying - “Quitting smoking is easy. I’ve done it a dozen times!”

Nicotine is addictive but there’s also the habit of periodically stopping what you’re doing to have a smoke break. agreed.
If a SAHP is home with the kids all day they’ll start craving the smoke and the choice is either light up inside or leave the kids unattended. We need a concrete solution to this problem. Or find another way - chew gum, for example.

It is wrong to litter and leave cigarette butts all over the place. agreed Portable ashtrays need to become more prevalent. Mmmmm… Cities need to enforce bylaws against littering but we also need more butt stops at bus stops and along the sidewalks. We need more trashcans.
I think governments need to seriously subsidize nicotine replacement therapy. Uh, no. I don’t want my tax money going there. Those patches are expensive. Oh sure, it’s much cheaper than continuing to smoke. if it’s cheaper, govt does not need to subsidize it! But most smokers need several rounds of the things to quit and for many the start up cost is prohibitive. We need more support for smokers who want to quit. Around here there are many, many groups for that - most are offered by insurance companies. In fact, our insurance company pays for nicotine therapy.

My MIL was a 4 pack day smoker. She started smoking at age 18. I never saw her without a cigarette in her hand. Twelve years ago she was diagnosed with heart trouble and had a quadruple bypass. As she awoke from her surgery, she asked the doc when she could have a cigarette. The doc told her she could not have ANY, as she had just had quadruple bypass, she could not leave her bed as she was hooked up to IVs, monitors, etc., and no smoking was allowed in the hospital. He suggested she quit altogether. She did - cold turkey.

It is 12 years later, and she had not touched a single cigarette since then. She never used nicotine replacement therapy. It CAN be done!

My FIL smoked for another year, and then he, too, quit cold turkey. He was about a 2 pack a day smoker.

 

[tapiocapudding]

My MIL was a 4 pack day smoker. She started smoking at age 18. I never saw her without a cigarette in her hand. Twelve years ago she was diagnosed with heart trouble and had a quadruple bypass. As she awoke from her surgery, she asked the doc when she could have a cigarette. The doc told her she could not have ANY, as she had just had quadruple bypass, she could not leave her bed as she was hooked up to IVs, monitors, etc., and no smoking was allowed in the hospital. He suggested she quit altogether. She did - cold turkey.

It is 12 years later, and she had not touched a single cigarette since then. She never used nicotine replacement therapy. It CAN be done!

My FIL smoked for another year, and then he, too, quit cold turkey. He was about a 2 pack a day smoker.

Good for your MIL and FIL! That is wonderful for them! Unfortunately most smokers don’t have that sort of motivation experience. And many who do don’t quit even when they must to preserve their lives. I lost a great grandfather that way.
I do think that nicotine replacement therapy needs to be more accesible to those who are poor. We subsidize methadone therapy to get addicts off narcotics. We have prescription medication to help alcoholics. But smokers have to pay $40 or more for a set of patches and ultimately they’ll need more than just one set. I do think someone needs to take all these tax dollars that smokers are pouring into the system and use them to help the smokers get off the stuff. Helping more people quit smoking will save the healthcare system loads and loads of money. (I live in Canada so we don’t have insurance companies to the same degree) Once a year my city runs an event where they give out free patches and gum and enter all the ex smokers into a draw to win some money. I think we need more programs like that.
When discussing smoking it becomes very easy just to dehumanize smokers “If they really loved their kids they would quit- look at how they are increasing the baby’s SIDS risk” I hear that sort of thing all the time. But we’re dealing with real people who are often poor and uneducated, who have been smoking a long time, who’s primary coping mechanisms are wrapped up in lighting up. Breaking that cycle is much more complicated than ‘they can just quit’
like I said before, I don’t know what the answer is. the people profitting from this don’t seem to care about the people who are dying. Smokers start usually for a dumb reason but then they are hooked and paying higher and higher taxes for a product that will ultimately kill them. I don’t think the blame falls on the smokers for this.

 

[just_me_1]

I’m half paraboid about 2nd hand smoke from my coworkers. they all smoke like crazy in all the buildings/vehicles. it’s gross. but what can I do. it might harm me someday but the baby should be fine, not like he’s breathing yet…

I truly think 3rd hand smoke is bogus though. It’s a smell. big deal. I burn trash or weeds and come in reeking of smoke too, how is it different? pretty soon candle smoke will be harmful and people with young or elderly in their homes will be told not to light a candle!

personally, I think it’s a rude habit. to come into someone’s house stinking like cigarettes. but other than being offensive to nonsmokers, I can’t buy the idea that the SMELL alone is harmful.

 

[just_me_1]

I’m half paraboid about 2nd hand smoke from my coworkers. they all smoke like crazy in all the buildings/vehicles. it’s gross. but what can I do. it might harm me someday but the baby should be fine, not like he’s breathing yet…

that didn’t make sense did it? i’m pregnant.