We all know that second hand smoke hurts the people in the house but did you think about your pets too?
A consortium of veterinary organizations and stop-smoking organizations in the Niagara NY region have banded together to promote Fluffy Quits, which is a program to "educate smokers about the dangers and ramifications associated with smoking around household pets."
I spotted the program on a bill board on the I90 as I drove back and forth from Cleveland to Ontario recently and just love the grassroots activism to promote this little known benefit of quitting smoking.
The website has information of the impact of smoking on pets and encourages pet parents who have recently given up smoking to post pictures of their pets in their Hall of Fame. You can get 5 FluffyBucks certificate to your next visit to the vet and a very strange looking "Smoke Free and So Freakin' Happy" FluffyQuits.com T-shirt for free. Just make the pledge and add your pet to the Hall of Fame (only for NY residents, sorry)
Here are some of the facts on the site:
Q: Is Second Hand Smoke really a big deal in my home?
A: Studies show that the amount of air pollution is on average 8 times higher in homes where smoking is permitted.Q: What could my pet experience from exposure to Second Hand Smoke?
A: Pets can develop respiratory infections, lung inflammation or asthma when breathing in Second Hand Smoke.Q: What else should I know about keeping my pet safe from tobacco products?
A: Tobacco, cigarette butts, nicotine replacement products such as patches and gum, chew and other tobacco products are attractive to pets. If eaten, these items could be also be toxic to your pet. Tobacco products should be kept out of reach of pets and disposed of properly.
Update: sadly the website seems to be defunct for now. I'll let you know if it comes back up again :(
