Many Smokers Would Quit for the Sake of their Pets

A recent study about pet owners’ attitudes and behaviors related to smoking has demonstrated that more than 28% of pet owners would try to quit if they knew that secondhand smoke (SHS) was a danger to their pets.

The study, which involved an online survey of over 3,200 adults, found that about one in five pet owners smoke, and one in four live with someone who smokes. Smoking pet owners said that information about the dangers of SHS to pet health would motivate them to quit smoking (28.4%), ask smokers living with them to quit (8.7%), or stop smoking indoors (14.2%). Almost twice as many non-smokers would be motivated to ask their smoking roomates to either quit or stop smoking indoors.

For the record, studies have demonstrated links between SHS and cancer in both cats and dogs. Additional observations suggest links between SHS and allergic reactions, bronchitis and asthma, and other illnesses. 

Authors of the study admit that it’s unclear wether smokers’ actual behavior would match their predicted behavior, but if even a few puppy dog eyes or kitty purrs are effective in getting their owners to take that first step, it would be just one more examples of pets help us lead happier, healthier lives!