Nearly all children have tobacco residue on their hands, according to a study published earlier this year.
Researchers from San Diego State University and the University of Cincinnati studied the hands of more than 500 children younger than 12. They found that more than 96% of the children had some amount of nicotine on their hands — whether they came into contact with a smoker or not.
Children from communities that have been traditionally targeted by tobacco marketing had the highest amounts of of tobacco on their hands, suggesting that tobacco exposure is a community and environmental issue.
Parents’ efforts to protect their children from tobacco smoke can go a long way to lower children’s exposure to tobacco, but smoking bans and intense cleaning would be needed to help protect children from tobacco exposure.