Latest Quitline campaign: Quit for your pets
We’re a nation of pet lovers with over 4.6 million pets! We all know that smoking is bad for humans. What you may not know is that second-hand and third-hand smoke can have some really nasty consequences for animals. Quitline is highlighting the risks to pets if someone smokes tobacco around them and encouraging animal-loving smokers to think about quitting… not just for themselves but for their pet too.
Dogs and cats are twice as likely to get cancer if their owners smoke around them, and other animals are also susceptible to a range of health issues. Third-hand smoke is the residual chemicals and nicotine left on surfaces. It sticks to clothes, furniture, curtains, walls, carpets, dust and other surfaces and can be harmful long after smoking has stopped. That third-hand smoke can cling to animal fur and feathers and can be ingested when pets are cleaning themselves.
Quitline has produced a short video - with the great support of the SPCA - that tells the universal story of the love of an owner for their pet, and shows the path that smokers are leading their pets down. It also reminds us that it’s never too late to change direction – and to quit smoking.
Find out more about the new Quit for your pets campaign.