title: Third-Hand Smoke: Old Smoke, New Concerns.
abstract: While the effects of active smoking and second-hand smoke (SHS) are well documented, the concept of third-hand smoke (THS) is a relatively new phenomenon in the environmental and public health field. This notion was coined in 2009 (Winickoff et al. in Pediatrics 123(1):e74-e79, 2009) but was not really brought to light until the New York Times published an article on the topic (Rabin in A new cigarette hazard: 'third-hand smoke'. The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/03/health/research/03smoke.html?_r=0 , 2009). Research on THS is fairly new and currently only limited animal studies have been performed that explore the health impacts associated with an individual THS-specific component. The public at large has a limited understanding of this new concept. As such, attitudes and beliefs surrounding THS exposure are still immature. Future research must be conducted to facilitate hazard identification, exposure and risk assessment to address its health impact on susceptible populations and to differentiate THS versus active smoking and SHS. In addition, policies and laws concerning tobacco smoke will need to be reviewed, possibly revised with the role of THS considered as an indispensable component of a broader tobacco control strategy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Tennessee, 390 HPER Building, 1914 Andy Holt Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Acuff
authors.affiliation: Social Work Office of Research and Public Service, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.
authors.forename: Kasey
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fristoe
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Tennessee, 390 HPER Building, 1914 Andy Holt Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hamblen
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Tennessee, 390 HPER Building, 1914 Andy Holt Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Tennessee, 390 HPER Building, 1914 Andy Holt Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA. jchen38@utk.edu.|Department of Nutrition, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 3799, USA. jchen38@utk.edu.
authors.forename: Jiangang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D006291:Health Policy / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution
keywords: Health policy; Second-hand smoke; Susceptible populations; Third-hand smoke; Tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs)