A new study suggests that making the public aware of the dangers of "third-hand smoke" -- the toxic gases and particles that linger on smokers and on furniture -- may motivate people to enforce a strict no-smoking policy at home.

Researchers behind the study, published in the January edition of the journal Pediatrics, are believed to be the first to have coined the term "third-hand smoke."

The study says children are especially susceptible to third-hand smoke exposure because they breathe near, crawl and play on, touch, and mouth contaminated surfaces.

It says children exposed to low levels of tobacco, such as through third-hand smoke, have "the steepest slope in the decrement in reading levels" -- suggesting that compounds in tobacco smoke can be poisonous to nerve tissue, even at extremely low levels.

Researchers assessed health beliefs of adults regarding third-hand smoke exposure of children and whether smokers and non-smokers differ in their views.

Overall, 65.2 per cent of nonsmokers versus 43.3 per cent of smokers agreed that third-hand smoke harms children.

Researchers also found that a respondent who felt that third-hand smoke was harmful was much more likely to enforce a strict no-smoking policy at home.

"This novel finding is important because the third-hand smoke concept could easily be incorporated into current and future tobacco counselling messages, tobacco control programs, policy initiatives, and guidelines," says the study.

The study found no independent association between the belief that second-hand smoke harms the health of children and rules prohibiting smoking in the home and car.

"New information emerging about third-hand smoke exposure may offer families needed additional information about sources of possible toxic exposure of their children and may enhance their motivation to alter home smoking practices to protect better the health of their children," says the report.

"Third-hand smoke health education campaigns might be more powerful motivators for these families than simply reiterating information about visible second-hand smoke exposure that most families already know."

Among other toxins, third-hand smoke contains arsenic (used in pesticides), lead, carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide (used in chemical weapons).

Of 2,000 eligible respondents contacted, 1,510 (87 per cent) completed surveys, 1,478 (97.9 per cent) answered all questions pertinent to this analysis, and 273 (18.9 per cent) were smokers.