Our pets are also victims of passive smoking

Cigarette smoke irritates the respiratory system and carries a large number of substances, some of which are toxic and even carcinogenic. Just like humans, pets exposed to secondhand smoke suffer the consequences.

When living with smokers, pets are not exempt from the harmful effects of passive smoking.

Pets exposed to smoking inhale smoke compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or nitrosamine. Following repeated and prolonged exposure to cigarette smoke, the throat, trachea, and bronchi of pets can become inflamed, resulting in a chronic, painful, and tiring cough. Chronic bronchitis can spread to the lungs, and the animal can then develop pneumonia. Furthermore, since the introduction of e-cigarettes, numerous cases of poisoning in pets have been reported following the ingestion of e-liquid.

Passive smoking causes serious and even fatal illnesses in pets

Toxic products carried by tobacco smoke are responsible for the development of cancers of the muzzle, throat, and lungs in dogs. Cats, on the other hand, are more susceptible to the dangers of cigarettes because they spend a lot of time licking their fur and thus swallow a lot of substances. They are three times more likely to develop lymphoma. Birds, sensitive to air quality, risk "sinusitis, pneumonia, allergies, lung cancer, eye problems, heart problems, and fertility problems." For guinea pigs, six months of exposure promotes emphysema and pulmonary hypertension. Ornamental fish are not spared either, since nicotine is particularly soluble in water. One hour of exposure in a smoky room is enough to increase mortality in guppies.

Remember: smokers double the risk of their pet developing a serious smoking-related illness, a risk that triples if the owner smokes more than a pack of cigarettes a day and quadruples if both owners smoke.

©Generation Without Tobacco

[i] “Quit smoking for the sake of your pets”, University of Glasgow, December 29, 2015.

[i] https://vivredemain.fr/2016/06/17/tabagisme-passif-danger-animaux/

[i] http://www.veterinairechateaugaillard.com/2013/09/le-tabac-est-aussi-dangereux-pour-nos-animaux/

[i] https://www.gla.ac.uk/news/archiveofnews/2015/december/headline_438291_en.html

[i] https://www.pharmaciengiphar.com/animaux/chat/chiens-et-chats-souffrent-tabagisme-passif

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