Why does stale smoke

Sticky, toxic substances, like nicotine and tar, cling to walls and ceilings. Gases are absorbed into carpets, draperies, and other surfaces.

Tobacco residue is present in dust and on surfaces throughout places where smoking has occurred. Nicotine in thirdhand smoke forms carcinogens cancer-causing substances , which are then inhaled, absorbed or ingested by tenants. Research has found that homes of former smokers remained polluted with thirdhand smoke for months after residents quit smoking, and they were continually exposed to nicotine and a tobacco-specific carcinogen. Tobacco residue also results in costly property damage.

Because of thirdhand smoke contamination, apartment units and condominiums where smoking has taken place require extensive turnover work and repairs at significant cost for you. In addition to being toxic, even someone who smokes probably does not want to move into a unit that smells like stale smoke. Surveys show that most tenants prefer smokefree housing.

First, consider adopting a smokefree policy for your buildings. A smokefree policy is legal and easy to implement, reduces tenant complaints, saves you money , 7 reduces fire risk , 8 and is an amenity people are looking for 9 in housing.

Renovating and repairing a unit when a smoking tenant moves out can be expensive and time-consuming, so you might as well do it only one more time! How to Quit: When the Smoker is You.

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Log in Register. Ages and Stages. Healthy Living. Safety and Prevention. Family Life. Health Issues. Tips and Tools. Of the 1, smokers and nonsmokers Winickoff surveyed, the vast majority agreed that second-hand smoke is dangerous.

But when asked whether they agreed with the statement, "Breathing air in a room today where people smoked yesterday can harm the health of infants and children," only 65 percent of nonsmokers and 43 percent of smokers answered "yes.

How exactly do you distinguish between second- and third- hand smoke? Third-hand smoke refers to the tobacco toxins that build up over time—one cigarette will coat the surface of a certain room [a second cigarette will add another coat, and so on]. The third-hand smoke is the stuff that remains [after visible or "second-hand smoke" has dissipated from the air]…. You can't really quantify it, because it depends on the space…. In a tiny space like a car the deposition is really heavy….

Smokers [may] smoke in another room or turn on a fan. They don't see the smoke going into a child's nose; they think that if they cannot see it, it's not affecting [their children]. Smokers themselves are also contaminated…smokers actually emit toxins [from clothing and hair].

Why is third-hand smoke dangerous? The surgeon general's report says there is no risk-free level of tobacco exposure…. There are poisonous toxins found in cigarette smoke. One such substance is lead. Very good studies show that tiny levels of exposure are associated with diminished IQ.

What do you consider the most dangerous compound in cigarette smoke? I would say cyanide, which is used in chemical weapons. It actually interferes with the release of oxygen to tissues. It competitively binds to hemoglobin [meaning it competes with oxygen for binding sites on the blood's oxygen-carrying molecule, hemoglobin].

Basically people with cyanide poison turn blue….