News Articles

Glens Falls Post Star Published on 2/22/2006

Campaign: Smoking is dangerous for pets
Veterinarian urges owners to think of animals' health

Local veterinarian Christopher Brockett and his 11-month-old Rhodesian Ridgeback named Merlot are seen Tuesday at the Prevention Council in Saratoga Springs, where the Southern Adirondack Tobacco-Free Coalition and the Capital District Veterinary Medical Society unleashed a new anti-smoking campaign targeting smokers who own pets.

By BRENDAN McGARRY
bmcgarry@poststar.com

SARATOGA SPRINGS -- If you smoke indoors and your favorite feline is always sniffling and sneezing, the animal could be suffering from an asthmatic condition related to second-hand smoke, a veterinarian said Tuesday.

Christopher Brockett of Saratoga Veterinary Hospital in Wilton cited recent medical research showing that cats and dogs exposed to second-hand smoke are at a higher risk for developing cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

With his shiny, 11-month-old Rhodesian Ridgeback pup named Merlot scampering at his feet, Brockett encouraged smokers to adopt more healthy lifestyles for themselves and their beloved pets.

"Over the last several decades, the relationship between people and their pets has changed significantly," he said. "These guys sleep in our beds. They eat high-quality foods. ... These guys are members of the family."

Brockett was speaking at the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Council of Saratoga County as part of a new anti-smoking campaign targeting smokers with pets, titled "I'll Love You No Matter What ... But Your Cigarettes are Hurting Me!"

The Southern Adirondack Tobacco-Free Coalition and the Capital District Veterinary Medical Society unleashed the initiative on Tuesday at the Prevention Council's offices on Phila Street.

"This is an area that very few people have thought of: How does this affect pets in my house?" Brockett said.

Two-thirds of all households in the United States have at least one pet, said Brockett, an animal-lover who owns two dogs, three cats and a pair of saltwater fish tanks.

More than 83,000 households in Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties have at least one pet, according to information provided by Margaret LaFrance, program coordinator for the Southern Adirondack Tobacco-Free Coalition, which serves the three counties.

"We want to get the message out very loud and clear that second-hand smoke can be very harmful to your pets," she said.

Brockett, executive board member of the state Veterinary Medical Society, said collies and other dogs with elongated snouts are 2-1/2 times more likely to develop nasal and sinus cancers if exposed to second-hand smoke because their noses filter more toxins.

Cats living in smoking households, meanwhile, are just as likely to develop malignant lymphoma, Brockett said.

When pets living with smokers groom themselves, they ingest toxic second-hand smoke particles that get trapped in their fur and feathers, according to LaFrance.

The 18-month anti-smoking campaign will feature print and radio advertisements warning of the danger second-hand smoke poses to domesticated animals, LaFrance said. The ads will begin airing later this month and will run through the summer.

The coalition also will promote the campaign at Daggett Dog Days this June in Warrensburg.

Janine Stuchin, project manager of coalition, said the $15,000 cost to launch the initiative was funded by the state Department of Health through tobacco litigation settlements. The idea for the program, she said, came from the Long Island Tobacco-Free Coalition, which started the effort last year.

Cherisse Brizendine, program coordinator for Glens Falls Hospital's Tobacco Cessation and Education Services, plugged free "quit smoking" groups available to nicotine addicts and the state hot line 1-866-NY-QUITS (697-8487).