Learning About Third-Hand Smoke

Third-hand smoke is nicotine and other chemicals left on indoor surfaces when people smoke cigarettes and use e-cigarettes (vape). Even after the air has cleared, these chemicals cling to clothes, furniture, rugs, car seats, walls, dust, hair, skin, and other surfaces. They can linger for weeks, months, and even years.

Nicotine and chemicals from third-hand smoke are usually absorbed through:

• The skin, when you touch objects or surfaces.
• The air, when you breathe it into your lungs. These chemicals can also be released back into the air from dust that has built up on objects and surfaces.
• The mouth, when you eat or lick contaminated objects.

Third-hand smoke contains thousands of chemicals, including nicotine. Many are toxic and can cause cancer. Nicotine also can react with other harmful things in the air. This can create new cancer-causing chemicals.

All of these chemicals are even more harmful to babies and children. They breathe them in and take them in through the skin or when they put objects in their mouth.

High levels of third-hand smoke can remain for a long time. Even years after people stop smoking inside, the level can be as high as the level in homes where people keep smoking inside.

Don’t allow people to smoke or vape inside your home or near you, your children, or your pets. If you smoke, vape, or use any tobacco products or nicotine products, try to quit. If you need help quitting, talk to your doctor about quit programs and medicine. A program such as the American Lung Association’s Freedom From Smoking® at Lung.org/ffs provides proven tools, options, tips, and support to quit smoking.

You cannot get rid of third-hand smoke by airing out the space or using most cleaning methods. For example, you cannot get rid of it by opening windows, using fans, and vacuum cleaning.

If people smoke or vape sometimes in your home, deep cleaning may help. You may be able to remove much of the smoke by washing objects several times in a washing machine or dishwasher. These include things like clothes, toys, bedding, and kitchenware.

If people often smoke or vape in your home, you probably need to replace major items to remove the smoke. These may include:

• Personal items (books, toys, clothes).
• Furnishings (carpets, furniture, bedding, mattresses).
• Structural elements (walls, floors, ceilings, doors, cabinets, HVAC units, airducts, wall insulation).