'Thirdhand' smoke a health risk in cinemas, say researchers

Hazardous chemicals could be carried on clothing and bodies of audience, study suggests

The lights dim, the trailers roll and the mutter of voices dwindles to a hush. But alongside the smell of popcorn, another scent pervades the cinema: the waft of stale cigarette smoke.

Now scientists say they have measured levels of such "thirdhand" smoke, suggesting it is carried on the bodies and clothing of moviegoers and could be a prominent, and lingering, source of hazardous chemicals.