If you are a teen who uses tobacco in the form of cigarette smoking, have you ever thought about the effect it might be having on your pets? If you are young without a spouse or children, it can seem like cigarette smoking is only affecting you — but that is blatantly untrue. If you have pets, that tobacco smoke could be doing a world of harm.
“Both secondhand smoke (which lingers in the air your animal breathes in) and third-hand smoke hurt pets. What’s third-hand smoke? It’s residue (harmful compounds that are left behind, such as nicotine) that can get on skin and clothes, as well as furniture, carpets, and other things where a smoker lives.”
Facts That May Surprise You About Pets and Smoking
Did you know …
- how tobacco smoke affects a dog depends on the length of the dog’s nose?
- that certain dog breeds are at increased risk of nose or lung cancer?
- that cats who live with people who smoke more than a pack of cigarettes a day have three times the risk of developing lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system?
- that your smoking can endanger your pet bird, guinea pig, and even your fish?
-FDA.GOV
Make a choice to protect not only your health, the health of all your feathery, furry, and scaly friends!