Creating awareness on danger of smoking residue

SMOKING is not just unhealthy, it’s also a dirty habit. When you smoke, you inhale 7,000 chemicals of which more than 60 are cancer-causing agents.

Many have heard of secondhand smoke but only a few know about third-hand smoke and its damaging effects.

Why do you need to care? Because the residue from smoking will remain in the upholstery, carpets, cushions, curtains and other materials at home, in the car, office, hotel rooms and even in the restaurants you frequent. The people coming to those places after you will be affected. It could be your pregnant wife, children, baby or even your grandchildren.

The residue reacts with the air and turns into dangerous chemicals which, when inhaled, cause the same effects as smoking and second-hand smoke.

Your child or baby who crawls on the carpet and subsequently lies down on the sofa is inhaling the chemicals from the residue unconsciously. This can lead to many health problems including lung diseases such as asthma, ear problems, reduced immunity and developmental problems.

In the long run, your healthcare cost will be high as your child will need to see doctors for treatment, and you too will have your own health problems as a result of smoking.

It’s time to seriously think about stopping smoking. Many government health clinics and even private hospitals provide services to help people quit smoking. The time to act is now. Stop smoking for the sake of your loved ones.

DR NUR AMANI AHMAD TAJUDDIN Family Medicine Specialist Member of the Nicotine Addiction Research and Collaboration Group, Universiti Malaya