Depending upon weather conditions and air flow, tobacco smoke can be detected at distances between 25-30 feet away. The harm of tobacco smoke is greater if there are many lit cigarettes burning at the same time and if someone is close to the tobacco smoke.
When someone who smokes outside enters a car or home, they bring thirdhand smoke with them. Often, they will smell like tobacco smoke. But even if they don't, thirdhand smoke is still carried on their clothes, skin, hair, and even in the breath they exhale.
The smoke particles must be removed by cleaning since smoke particles tend to get into the smallest cracks and areas. This means that you may be left with lingering odors even after cleaning your house from top to bottom. Removing all sources of odors is the only way to ensure the scent will not linger.
Secondhand smoke exposure can produce harmful inflammatory and respiratory effects within 60 minutes of exposure which can last for at least three hours after exposure.
Yes it does. Normally the smoke and particles of it settle on the clothes and one can smell it even after a few hours.
Understanding Thirdhand Smoke
Nearly all particles released from smoking, including nicotine, are present on the clothes, hair, and skin of a caregiver after smoking, which could lead to potential exposure for children even when the smoking is done outside of the home.
Baking soda and activated charcoal: Sprinkling either baking soda or activated charcoal powder (sold at pet stores) can remove cigarette odors just as it can mildew smells. If you are trying to reduce the cigarette stench in a room, you can either put the powders in open bowls, or sprinkle on a surface.
It lingers
Second-hand smoke lingers for up to 5 hours after your last cigarette. Even if you smoke when they're at school or out playing, second-hand smoke will still be around, waiting for your kids to breathe it in when they get home.
Whether the exposure occurs indoors or outdoors the adverse health effects remain the same. The only difference is that indoors the concentration of the harmful chemicals, compounds, and particles is kept in and doesn't go away as quickly as outdoors.
Secondhand smoke can still spread through your home. It can travel through doorways, cracks in walls, electrical lines, ventilation systems, and plumbing. In an apartment building, secondhand smoke can go in between apartment units.
There has been no determination of how long the harmful effects of secondhand smoke lingers in the air. Depending on a room's ventilation, the smell of tobacco smoke can linger for some time. If tobacco smoke is in the air, it can and does present potential health problems to all but particularly children.
Regardless of the size, location, or cause, it is not safe to sleep in your house after a fire until the smoke damage is removed.
Where you can, try and open up a window while you smoke. The open window provides more ventilation and gives the smoke an area to exit so that it doesn't linger in the room and settle. Once it's settled, it can be harder to remove the smoke smell. As you smoke, try to exhale directly out of the open window.
If the smell of smoke occurs suddenly and continues for less than a few minutes, the site of origin is likely the smell region of the inner temporal lobe of the brain, called the uncus. The source could be an abnormal electrical discharge or "firing" in the brain (a seizure).
It can become embedded in most soft surfaces such as clothing, furniture, drapes, bedding and carpets. It also settles as dust-like particles on hard surfaces such as walls, floors and in vehicles. Thirdhand smoke can remain for many months even after smoking has stopped.
All smoke from burning nicotine products contains harmful chemicals (toxins). Even nonsmokers inhaling other people's smoke breathe in these toxins. Side stream smoke from the end of a cigarette, cigar or pipe is unfiltered. It has more harmful toxins than mainstream smoke that someone breathes out.
Did You Know? Secondhand smoke can travel through doorways, cracks in walls, electrical lines, ventilation systems and plumbing.
Thirdhand smoke residue builds up over time on most surfaces it touches. It can remain for weeks, months or even years. “It resists normal cleaning methods and you can't air it out of rooms or cars with fans or vacuums,” Dr. Choi says.
Health risks of thirdhand smoke
While medical experts continue to learn more everyday about its long-term effects, research has shown that thirdhand smoke causes damage to people's DNA, increasing their risk of developing certain cancers, such as lung cancer, and other chronic diseases like asthma.
If you only smoke in one area of your home the harmful chemicals will spread rapidly from room to room and can linger for up to 5 hours. If you smoke in a confined space such as a car, you're exposing your fellow passengers to even more harmful chemicals.
Yes. People will smell the weed. It has a particular smell and unless you are smoking skunk weed in an area that has a lot of actual animal skunks that spray or are run over a lot, they will know you smoke weed.
Another way to remove or reduce buildup of cigarette smoke odor and residue is to bathe regularly. Bathing or showering regularly using soap and hair wash help to wash away leftover cigarette smoke on your skin. Bathing is highly recommended before going to sleep and spreading odor or residue to your bed.
2- SMOKE IN THE BATHROOM/SHOWER
Turn your shower on and make it as hot as possible. The steam from the hot water will mix with the smoke and help dissipate the smell. Make sure you fan is on as well so the steam/smoke mix will get sucked up and out of the bathroom.
Use natural ventilation
You should open the windows to let in some fresh air every hour or so. You can even use sliced lemon pieces to get a natural citrusy scent in your homes. Or even a bowl of baking soda left in the relevant space can help eradicate the pungent smell of a cigarette smoke.