In many studies, the harm of secondhand smoke, or second-hand smoke, to which people near those suffering from nicotine addiction are exposed has been proven. However, little is known about tertiary smoke - deposited on surfaces in areas where people smoke regularly - while it also poses a latent but serious health hazard.
In the event that someone smokes in an apartment or even on a balcony, everyone who lives in this room is at significant risk. This is due to the fact that particles of tobacco smoke accumulate on all surfaces - on furniture, in carpets, on wallpaper, and turn into tertiary smoke, which can be even more dangerous than the primary, directly inhaled by a smoker, and second-hand smoke.
Tertiary smoke is concentrated, accumulating for months, and it is very difficult to remove it, and people living in an apartment inhale it constantly, without even noticing it. At the same time, given that "old" second-hand smoke is about three times more toxic than "fresh", and "fresh" is four times more toxic than the main smoke inhaled by a smoker, the toxicity of tertiary smoke that accumulated in an apartment in over time, 12 times higher than mainstream smoke.
Such smoke contains a number of substances hazardous to humans, and indoor surfaces adsorb semi-volatile organic compounds, which are then slowly released into the air, increasing the risk of adverse effects on the body.
Experiments of the National Laboratory. Lawrence in Berkeley (USA) showed that mutagens and carcinogens contained in tertiary smoke lead to the development of lung cancer in mice. As part of the study, they were exposed to smoke for 3 weeks from 4-7 weeks of age and monitored for tumor development until 47 weeks of age. There was a significant increase in the proportion of mice with adenocarcinoma of the lungs, in addition, tumors in mice exposed to tertiary smoke were larger than in the control group, and 3 of 12 mice in which neoplasms were detected developed multiple lung tumors.
Exposure to tertiary tobacco smoke is especially dangerous for children, as they are more likely to touch floor coverings, take toys in their mouths, and may “taste” other objects when they are indoors. Studies have shown that urine levels of hazardous tertiary smoke derivatives were higher in children than in adults, suggesting that they are particularly vulnerable to its effects and are also at increased risk of developing cancer at 1-6 years of age.
Another unobvious danger is tertiary smoke, which smokers carry on themselves. A study by scientists at Yale University (USA) showed that even when we are in a non-smoking room, we are exposed to smoke. Researchers used mass spectrometry to study the air composition of a nonsmoking movie theater and determined that noticeable emissions of tobacco-related VOCs coincided with the start of the film and the filling of the auditorium. These emissions exposed visitors to exposure comparable to inhaling second-hand smoke from 1-10 cigarettes.
It is not easy to give up a habit that causes serious harm not only to a smoker, but also to his relatives and even strangers. Consultation with a specialist and the appointment of effective and safe pharmacotherapy can help cope with addiction. Today, for those who want to quit smoking, new generation drugs are available without nicotine, which do not require radical cessation of cigarettes before taking the drug, which is especially important for those who experience a strong psychological dependence on tobacco.