Smoking threatens health of cats and dogs, pet insurance broker warns

Wed, 09 May 2007

A pet insurance provider has warned that cats and dogs could suffer as a result of the impending smoking ban in England.

On July 1st 2007, it will become illegal for people to smoke in a public place in England, following on from similar bans introduced in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

And while the legislation has been brought in to improve public health, one theory is that it will lead to more people smoking at home instead.

Now, a research project from insurance broker More Than has discovered that 44 per cent of people who smoke daily do so when their cat and dog is around, while 38 per cent of smoking pet owners apparently had not considered the potential health implications for their beloved animals.

Melvin Everest, head of pet insurance at the insurance provider, commented: "Many pets are helpless to passive smoking and it's sad to see that so many of them are at risk of serious illness because of their owners' behaviour."

In addition to helping their pets, smokers who kick the habit could also receive a financing boost - chancellor Gordon Brown announced an 11p hike in the price of cigarettes in the last Budget.

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