Home Air purifiers and Cigarette Smoke

Long term exposure to smoke caused by cigarettes, a fireplace, or environmental wildfires, can be harmful to your health. Tobacco smoke for instance, contains more than 7,000 chemical compounds. More than 250 of these chemicals are known to be harmful, and at least 69 are known to cause cancer. The most common areas that are exposed to second hand smoke are at work, in public places, at home, and in the car. Making your home smoke free may be one of the most important things you can do for the health of your family.

Allergy or asthma sufferers that live with an indoor smoker may experience sinus problems and attacks frequently. The smoke particles and chemicals in the air cause asthma attacks and allergic reactions to occur in many people. Symptoms of cigarette smoke allergies include: burning or watery eyes, nasal congestion, coughing, hoarseness, and shortness of breath. Not only are people with a cigarette smoke allergy extra sensitive to cigarette smoke than others, but recent studies also show that smoking may aggravate allergies.

Once smoke is released into a home, many of the toxins and contaminants stick to the walls, furniture and any other objects in the home. Air purifiers can help reduce the amount of contaminants in the air but do not fully reduce the toxins as they easily attach to many surfaces. Stopping the smoke source would be the best solution in avoiding contaminants and odor but often it is not possible. Air purifiers are the next best solution in maintaining quality clean air indoors.

What Can I Do?

• Eliminating the source would be the best solution, but this is not always possible so we must look at other options.
• High quality home air purifiers use activated carbon to capture cigarette smoke, chemical gases, and odors. To be truly effective an air purifier for smoke needs to have many pounds of carbon. Activated carbon can absorb as much as 60% of its own weight in chemical pollutants.
• A resident who is a smoker can easily step outside for a smoke. A “smoking room” can be set up that is equipped with an outside vented exhaust fan. The smoker can be sure to block off any cold air returns and turn the fan on when he or she is smoking a cigarette.
• The best way is to only allow smokers to smoke in a specific room or outside. Even though smoke is blown outside or in a room it can seep into a house which is where an air purifier will come into use.
  

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