The Dangers of Third Hand Smoke

If parents didn't have enough to worry about, now there is evidence that third-hand smoke is especially harmful to children.
 
The Mayo Clinic reported that residue from cigarette smoke when combined with pollutants in the air forms a "toxic" mix impossible to remove from surfaces and hazardous to anyone who comes in contact.

Think about the gym at St. Anselm school. Studies show that third-hand smoke clings handrails, floors, walls, and many other surfaces that exist in the gym and will stay on these surfaces long after the cessation of smoking.  We know that children are at risk for second-hand smoke. They are especially at risk for third hand smoke that they may touch, ingest or inhale from surfaces in the gym.

“It follows that children in environments where smoking is, or has been allowed, are at significant risk for suffering from multiple short-term and longer health problems, many of which may not manifest fully until later in life,” the researchers conclude in the study, published in the journal, PLOS ONE