Thirdhand Smoke

We all know what firsthand smoke is. It’s the actual inhalation of cigarettes or cigars that goes into the lungs and causes damage.

Secondhand smoke is the indirect inhalation of all that exhaled smoke from the smoker.

Bartenders are good examples of innocent bystanders, as are spouses, children, and pets of smokers.

When someone smokes inside the house, where do you think that smoke (containing all those chemicals) goes?

Does it dissipate completely?

The answer is obviously no, but here’s what actually happens:

Over time, all that smoke exhaled, which contains 1000’s of chemicals, eventually settles onto the floor, or any surface in your house where you’re smoking.

The floors, the carpet, your bed, the bathroom, the kitchen, your bedroom, the counters, the furniture, and those pesky crevices in your hardwood floors all get layered with the chemicals found in cigarette and cigar smoke.

Cleaning can only do so much.

The ceiling, the walls, and the perimeter of the house I’m sure has the most buildup over time.

Ever visit someone who smokes in the house and their walls and ceiling are yellow?

What do you think that is? Fresh paint?

It’s a layer of chemicals.

Most people just paint over that, but that doesn’t erase the toxic environment. Now you’ve trapped the toxins for good.

So let’s say you walk barefoot around this house. Because your skin is porous, meaning it’s not a solid surface, the chemicals on the floor are being transferred to your body through your feet.

It may not mean much at first, but over time, this can potentially cause problems.

If you smoked a cigarette 5 minutes ago, and you suddenly held a baby, you are transferring the chemicals found in cigarettes TO THAT BABY through your hands.

The chemicals seep through the cigarette into your skin, and it doesn’t go away unless you thoroughly cleanse it.

Over time, the constant transfer of chemicals causes pigmentation in the skin.

It’s just like the ceilings and walls of the house. It’s a layer of toxic chemicals.

Years and years of exposure might lead to something like asthma or other tobacco-related diseases.

So just be aware of thirdhand smoke, especially around babies and pets. They have no choice.

Clean your house, including the perimeter, on a regular basis to remove unwanted toxic chemicals from the surface.

If you haven’t quit smoking yet, do everyone else a favor and go smoke outside.

The result of smoking inside is far worse for your family than you getting off the couch and stepping outside for once.

Maybe this will help you quit for good.