0 vote(s).
The Effects Of Smoking And Your Pets
Secondhand smoke is just as damaging to your pet’s health as it is to a human’s health. Many smokers don’t realize the ramifications that smoking can have on their pets.
Exposure to secondhand smoke has been associated with allergies in dogs, eye and skin diseases in birds, lymph gland cancer in cats, nasal and lung cancer in dogs, oral cancer in cats and respiratory problems in both cats and dogs.
Very few smokers realize the impact their smoking habit is having on their pet’s health
Today, many vets are questioning pet owners regarding their smoking habits, much to their surprise. Quit smoking advocates are viewing this new turn of events as a new means of getting through to smokers who previously refused to even consider quitting.
In an online study conducted in southeastern Michigan, 3,293 pet owners responded. Approximately 20 % of the respondents were smokers and more than one in four lived with a smoker. The average number of cigarettes smoked each day in these households was about 7 to 13. Approximately 28 % of the people who participated in the survey stated that if they knew smoking was impacting their pet’s health negatively, they would seriously consider quitting smoking.
About 8.7 % of respondents said that knowing the impact on their pet’s health would cause them to ask their partners to quit smoking. Approximately 14 % said they would ask their smoking partner to start smoking outdoors. Approximately 40 % of the smokers and 25 % of nonsmokers said they would be interested in receiving information on the effects of smoking and how to give up.
Researchers were astounded to discover that pet owners cared more about their pet’s health than their own. What they do know is that this may be a new means of getting through to smokers. This new information has everyone suggesting that public health campaigns target smokers and the impact of secondhand smoke on their pets.
Nearly two thirds of U.S. households have pets.
If you’re a smoker who has been considering quitting, but don’t know where to start, try starting with your furry pal. The pets we love live short enough lives as it is without us having to worry about losing them sooner because of our smoking habit.
If you do have at least one pet and you’re not quite ready to quit, you can start by smoking outside. Unfortunately, newer research also indicates that even smoking outside doesn’t protect nonsmokers from the effects of smoking. The toxins and chemicals stick to a smoker’s clothes, hair and skin and can let off toxins into the air for months after the individual has smoked their last cigarette.
Tags: nicotine addiction, nicotine withdrawal, pets, quit smoking, quitting, secondhand smoke, smoking cessation, stop smoking
Click here for Top Quit Smoking Products reviewed by our staff
Print this Article
Sent to Friends
Related Articles
- Help For Depressed Smokers Who Are Trying To Quit- Avoiding Pressure From Other Smokers When You’re Trying To Quit
- How Ets Can Affect Your Children And Why It’s So Dangerous
- Quitting Smoking: Tips For Quitting
- Can A Financial Incentive Help Smokers Quit Smoking Cigarettes?
- Post Your Comment
