Mon, Jul 13, 2020 page9

• Small children susceptible to third-hand tobacco hazards 三手菸隱藏環境中 幼童更易受害

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  Most people understand the importance of avoiding second-hand smoke, but doctors say that the risk of third-hand tobacco in one’s living environment is not only as dangerous, but that small children are more likely to come into contact with it and could develop a cough as a result. For this reason, parents should be aware of the dangers.

  According to Chiu Chen-fong, director of the thoracic medicine department of Feng Yuan Hospital in Taichung, third-hand tobacco occurs when a person smokes in a closed environment, and the tobacco smoke particles settle on surfaces in the room, including the smokers’ own clothing and hair, as well as the curtains, sofa, walls and floor within the living space.

  Once the smoke has settled on the curtains or furniture, even if one opens the windows to let the air circulate to freshen up the room and allow the tobacco odor to dissipate, or even if one wipes down or washes the surfaces, this will not necessarily thoroughly remove the settled particles. In some cases it will actually require replacing the furniture entirely, before the room can be returned to a living space completely devoid of tobacco hazards.

  

  According to Chiu Chen-fong, director of the thoracic medicine department of Feng Yuan Hospital in Taichung, third-hand tobacco hazards are caused when tobacco smoke settles on curtains and living room furniture. 台中市豐原醫院胸腔內科主任邱振峰表示，吸菸形成的菸霧沉澱到窗簾、沙發椅上，就形成三手菸害。

  Photo: Ou Su-mei, Liberty Times 照片：自由時報記者歐素美

  Chiu says that the second-hand smoke we are all familiar with is easily avoided, but once third-hand tobacco has been produced the people in the immediate environs are not really aware of it, and it will be invisible to the naked eye by family and friends sharing the same space. As a result, it can often lead to the development of respiratory problems with no obvious cause, such as a chronic cough or excessive sputum.

  Importantly, small children are particularly at risk of coming into contact with third-hand tobacco hazards, because they will tend to climb over furniture and touch surfaces, unknowingly exposing themselves to the third-hand smoke particles. Families with members who come down with respiratory tract symptoms with no readily apparent cause should pay attention to whether or not anyone in the family smokes, and those who do smoke should look to quitting as soon as possible.

  (Translated by Paul Cooper, Taipei Times)

  一般民眾多數知道遠離二手菸害，但醫師表示，三手菸隱藏在環境中，不僅跟二手菸一樣可怕，尤其幼童比大人更容易接觸到，因而出現不明咳嗽，更值得家長注意。

  台中市豐原醫院胸腔內科主任邱振峰表示，所謂「三手菸」就是當一位吸菸者在密閉的環境裡吸菸，菸霧隨著空氣沉澱到周圍的物質上，包括吸菸者本身的衣物、頭髮，甚至住家的窗簾、沙發、牆壁、地面等。

  一旦菸霧沉澱到窗簾、沙發椅上，就算打開窗戶以空氣對流方式清除，也只是將味道散去，即便以擦拭或清洗方式，也不見得能將菸害的沉澱物質完全清除乾淨，有的甚至要將家具全部汰換過，才能重新還給住家清新無菸害的環境。

  邱振峰說，常見的二手菸很容易避免，但三手菸產生後，周遭的人很難察覺，尤其是共處一室的親友，不容易以肉眼辨識，因此常出現不明原因的呼吸症狀，像是慢性咳嗽、痰液較多等情形。

  值得注意的是，幼小的孩童比大人更容易接觸到三手菸危害，因為幼童常會到處亂爬、亂摸，不知不覺就受到三手菸侵害，提醒民眾家中若有人常出現不明原因呼吸道症狀，就應看看是否有人吸菸，並提醒吸菸者儘早戒菸。

  （自由時報）
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