FORT MYERS, Fla. - The dangers of second-hand smoke are well known. But a new study is raising concerns about something called third-hand smoke.

Third hand-smoke describes the residuals left behind in a room, for example on the carpet or furniture, long after the smoke has cleared.
Children playing on the floor can then breathe in the toxins.

A new study published in the journal Pediatrics says kids can suffer serious medical consequences, including respiratory and ear infections, asthma attacks, even SIDS.

Smoking outside or in a different room doesn't protect them.

"The problem with that is even though you come inside and you don't visibly see the smoke coming in, the toxins still remain on your clothes, the toxins still remain on your hair," explains Fort Myers Pediatrician Dr. Pierre Loredo. "Then when you're around your child the child breathes in these toxins."

There's no research about how long toxins remain after the smoke has cleared.