Passive smoking pets at more risk
| Published: 14th June 2007 10:38 |
Passive smoking pets at more risk
Just like humans, the health of a household pet is put at risk in a smoky environment.
When July's smoking ban is introduced, former passive smokers will literally breathe a sigh of relief along with some smoke-free fresh air. However, some health experts fear that passive smoking in the home will go up as a direct result as smokers are banished to the confines of their home. Along with other family members, pets will suffer too.
Parents are usually careful not to smoke around their children, but few give the same consideration to their pets. Second-hand smoke affects pets' health in the same way as humans, causing potentially fatal diseases, coughing and bronchitis.
Some three million pet owners smoke around their pets regularly and nearly a third (31%) have done so since their pets were young, according to research from pet insurer, MORE TH>N. The introduction of the smoking ban in England on 1 July means that over one million pet owners will spend more time smoking at home instead of going out. This poses a grave threat to their pets' health, never mind other family members.
British pet owners are frequent smokers, according to the study, with one quarter (24%) of them smoking every day and nearly half (44%) of these admit to lighting up in the house when their pet is around, often in the same room.
Sophie de Pelet, consultant vet to MORE TH>N, comments, "Cats and dogs can suffer similar effects to humans when they are exposed to second-hand smoke, including breathing problems, watery eyes and coughing, which may well lead to more serious and potentially fatal diseases such as chronic bronchitis, lymphoma and lung cancer."
According to international research, having two smokers in a household increases the chance of smoking related illnesses four-fold in cats. MORE TH>N's research reveals that almost a third (31%) of smoking households in the UK who have pets also have more than one smoker.
Despite the publicity about the health risks associated with passive smoking, 38% of pet owners who smoke confess that it has never crossed their minds that smoking around their animals could harm them. However, 75% admitted they would continue smoking as normal, regardless of the serious health problems their smoking poses to pets.
Melvin Everest, head of pet insurance for MORE TH> N, adds, "Passive smoking may sound like a joke, but it's a serious issue. Many pets are helpless to passive smoking and it's sad to see that so many of them are at risk of serious illness because of their owners' behaviour.
"If people must smoke, we urge them not to light up around their pet. Go outside or at least smoke beside an open window to lessen the effects on animals, not to mention other people."
________________________________________________________________________________________________
