Jump to full article: MedPage Today, 2008-12-30
Author: Michael Smith, North American Correspondent, MedPage Today
Intro: Action Points
* Explain to interested patients that it is well-known that second-hand smoke harms the health of children.
* Note that this study examined the behaviors associated with the belief that "third-hand smoke" -- toxins left on surfaces once tobacco smoke dissipates -- can also harm children's health.
* Explain the study found that fewer people are aware of the danger, but those who are were more likely to completely ban smoking in their home.
Such toxins are especially hazardous for children who breathe near the surfaces, crawl and play on them, or touch and mouth them, according to Jonathan Winickoff, M.D., of the Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, and colleagues.
Although most adults are aware of the danger of second-hand smoke for children, the risks of third-hand smoke are lesser known, Dr. Winickoff and colleagues said in the January issue of Pediatrics.
The conclusion is based on a nationally representative survey that examined beliefs about second- and third-hand smoke and behaviors derived from those beliefs, the researchers said.
The Social Climate Survey of Tobacco Control, an annual cross-sectional look at smoking, was given to 1,478 adults, reached by telephone, in November 2005. . . .
Primary source: Pediatrics Source reference: Winickoff JP, et al "Beliefs about the health effects of "thirdhand" smoke and home smoking bans"
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