Thirdhand Smoke as an Intervention Message for Creating Smoke-Free Homes

Third-hand smoke (THS) is a relatively new concept in tobacco research. THS is the residual tobacco smoke contamination that remains after the cigarette is extinguished. This residue can be found in clothing and upholstery and on other hard surfaces. It may remain on surfaces for days, weeks or even months. We conducted focus groups to test formative materials for creating a smoke-free home and assessed knowledge and beliefs about thirdhand smoke. We also assessed beliefs regarding THS harm in a brief intervention pilot study for promoting smoke-free home policies among low-income households. Thirty-nine focus group participants were recruited from health departments and forty participants (20 smokers and 20 non-smokers) were recruited from a health department clinic and outside an urban public hospital for the brief intervention. From the focus group data, many participants had not heard about thirdhand smoke and did not know what it is. Once the definition was given to them, many agreed that residue in dust and on surfaces could harm adults and children in the home. Almost all of the participants stated that they thought the message of thirdhand smoke would encourage people to make their homes smoke-free. Within the brief intervention, over 97% of respondents agreed that “breathing air in a room today where people smoked yesterday can harm the health of infants and children.” Results from these studies show that THS may be another strong message to promote smoke-free homes in addition to the health consequences of secondhand smoke.