Medical evangelists see third hand smoke as a new way to control us.

Just when you might have been thinking the tobacco prohibitionists are a bit hysterically unbalanced along comes an article that warns that the danger isn't just to high volume smokers, or occassional smokers, or those who might inhale the odd waft of second hand smoke, but to babies through third hand smoke. The article puffs up speculation as conclusion: "new findings" "surfaces contaminated with nicotine, putting infants at risk." Then the potential risk is extended by reference to other unsourced "studies" showing that THS (ohh yes, the acronym makes it sound so much more official) can damage DNA.

At least, the Medscape article provides a link to the actual study. One hopes that at least some readers will follow the link to find that the study involves 5 mothers and their babies. Yes, 5. The "study" found only that substances were detectable in surfaces and bloods. No indication that the levels were consistent with damage. The study was also published by a site, Tobacco Control that exists to spin research on this topic alone.

Tobacco consumption is a very well known and documented risk, but the fanaticism around second hand smoke, and now it seems around third hand smoke leads to shoddy science and calls for ever increasing and unwarranted social control.