Snuff Out Secondhand — and Thirdhand— Smoke Snuff Out Secondhand — and Thirdhand— Smoke Secondhand smoke is the sidestream smoke given off by tobacco products like cigarettes as well as the mainstream smoke exhaled by smokers. When we breathe cigarette smoke, we’re exposed to the more than 2,500 chemicals it contains, including hazards like cadmium, formaldehyde, benzene, benzo[a]pyrene, lead, nitrosamines, and ammonia. Maybe you’re not specifically up on all of these substances and what they do. Suffice it to say that secondhand smoke can be harmful to children and has been linked to allergies, asthma, increased cancer risk, birth defects, low birth weights, and sudden infant death syndrome. Nearly 60% of children aged 3 to 11 years are exposed to secondhand smoke, and it’s believed to be responsible for approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths each year. There’s also the issue of so-called “thirdhand smoke,” the toxic residues that smoking leaves behind in dust and on clothes, furnishings, walls, bedding and other surfaces.

These residues accumulate over time and are difficult to clean. Unlike secondhand smoke, they can’t be removed by ventilation. They also remain even after smoking has ceased. Thirdhand smoke is still being studied, but experts believe it may interact with other typical indoor air pollutants to create a uniquely toxic threat. Here’s how to protect your family from second- and thirdhand smoke: If you smoke, please quit. Products like nicotine patches and gum can curb cravings. For tips on quitting, download Clearing the Air: Quit Smoking Today, published by the National Cancer Institute. Ban smoking in your home and cars. Don’t rely on ventilation systems and air purifiers—they cannot filter nor circulate air well enough to eliminate secondhand smoke. Blowing smoke away from children, going into another room to smoke, or opening a window won’t cut it. They’re better than nothing but not by much. As a rule of thumb, treat smoking in a room as you would an insecticide application: ventilate by opening windows and using fans for hours before readmitting children.

Avoid taking children to places where smoking is permitted, especially smaller enclosed spaces with a number of people smoking and with little or no ventilation. After you’ve been around smokers, change your clothes before contact with your children, and wash your hair if possible. Insist that anyone who smells of smoke refrain from hugging or playing with your kids. car air purifier smokeThis includes babysitters, grandparents, and other caretakers.central air purifiers homeHEPA filter to keep neighbors second hand smoke out?air purifier dehumidifier allergies July 29, 2014   SubscribeHome > Oransi Education Center > Oransi Smoke Education > Best Air Purifier For COPD Most of us know or live with someone who smokes.

Yet, even though these smokers may step outside to light up and hear our constant reminders for them to quit, the majority of us still reap the unfortunate side-effects of second-hand smoke. Seeing as that uphill battle against our nicotine-addicted associates won’t be ending anytime soon, proactive approaches should be taken to combat common smoke-related diseases like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), for anyone inhaling first or second-hand smoke. But, before we get into the ways we can counteract COPD and explain how to get breathing back on track, lets look at why the smoke-centric disease happens in the first place. Health Effects of Smoking & COPD Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is typically a direct product of inhaling smoke and can result in emphysema and/or chronic bronchitis. Whether the smoke being breathed in is first-hand smoke or second-hand, these respiratory illnesses essentially make the body’s internal airways inflamed and less elastic, leaving the lungs clogged with mucus and struggling to function properly.

Common tell-tale symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath and mucus build-ups. To make matters worse, COPD is considered a progressive disease, meaning the effects only heighten over time. More so, smoke isn’t the only trigger of COPD. People around consistent air pollution or chemical inhalants may also become susceptible. For example, working in a plastics factory and breathing in CFC fumes or inhaling dust all day on a construction site are the type of consistent impediments that can lead to long-term COPD symptoms. No matter how the disease is developed, COPD is often diagnosed in middle-aged and older adults, making it the third leading cause of death in the US. However, there are numerous lifestyle changes to consider that can help prevent COPD from completely settling.Fighting Back Against Smoking & COPDIdeally, anyone who wants to avoid COPD should cease contact with smokers and avoid second-hand smoke altogether. Anyone who actually smokes and wants to avoid COPD should stop smoking upon finishing this sentence.

However, we understand those solutions aren’t always feasible options. Instead of taking drastic measures to dispel the suffocating disease, try these three easily-implemented preventative tactics. 1) Exercise: One such tactic that can alleviate COPD symptoms is implementing a workout routine. Although facilitating a full exercise plan can be extremely effective in healthy lung function and counteracting damage done by smoke inhalation, adding a minimal routine such as daily walking will help most people maintain above average breathing performance. 2) Respirators: If breathing problems are caused by surroundings in a workplace, one way to counteract them is by wearing a respirator. Built specifically to block out air pollutants like smoke and allergens, these masks are regularly used by painters to avoid contact with paint fumes and lead, as well as contractors who regularly work in dust. Anyone working the line in a factory or facility where COPD triggers are prominent should strongly consider wearing a mask for long-term preventative care.

3) Air Purifiers: We understand not everyone is going to jump at the chance to wear a mask at work every day or add daily trips to the gym on their schedule. For anyone looking to implement an immediate solution to help breath better and a long-term accomplice in the fight against COPD, consider an air purifier - more specifically, Oransi’s Erik Ultra and Erik Ultra Plus units. 4) Alternative methods: New alternative methods are being used to help treat COPD and improve your quality of life.Built with the same filters used in hospital operating rooms, this state of the art air purifier filters out more than 99.99% of air pollutants, before they can damage lung function. That filter ratio is important, because the Erik Ultra Plus can account for the hard to capture particles that stay suspended in the air, which is exactly where second-hand tobacco smoke particles accumulate. Plus, with 195 square feet of filter media, the unit can cover most areas affected by smoke or other hazardous pollutants.