Smoking ban good for the heart: study
Last Updated Wed, 02 Apr 2003 11:56:15
Copyright CBC
CHICAGO - Heart attacks in a Montana city were cut in half after an indoor smoking ban came into effect.
Dr. Richard Sargent and Dr. Robert Shepard presented their study in Chicago at a meeting of the American College of Cardiology.
The doctors say their study was the first to investigate what happens to public health when people stop smoking in public places.
"I'm glad someone finally noticed it," said Shepard. "This has probably been going on in every other community with a smoking ban."
The city of Helena, pop. 26,000, adopted a smoking ban last June and was in effect until December, when a legal challenge forced town council to drop the ban.
In that period, hospital admissions for heart attacks dropped from seven every month to three.
Both doctors are strong advocates of smoking bans. They say the Helena experience offers a clear indication that the change reduces the risk of heart attacks for smokers and non-smokers.
The American Heart Association says 35,000 non-smokers die each year from the effects of second-hand smoke. Smoke can trigger heart attacks because it raises blood pressure, increasing the risk of blood clots.
The study found:
- heart attacks dropped 75 per cent for smokers
- 67 per cent for former smokers
- 50 per cent for smokers
The doctors tracked heart attacks over the past four years in the area and compared it to the smoking ban period.
Shepard says the study needs to be replicated in a larger city like New York. The state of New York just imposed a ban on indoor smoking.