Smoking Bans May Reduce Heart Attacks
Smoking bans in public places can reduce the number of heart attacks by over one-third, which offers new proof that the restrictions are effective, two U.S. research teams reported on Monday.
One of the teams discovered that the smoking bans in the U.S., Canada and Europe had an immediate effect that only increased as time went on. The number of heart attack cases were cut by 17 percent in the first year and by as much as 36 percent after three years, they reported in the journal Circulation.
The other team of researchers discovered that the smoking bans reduced the annual heart attack rate by 26 percent. Their report, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, estimates that a nationwide ban in the U,S, could actually prevent as many as 154,000 heart attacks every year.
The findings by both separate teams reinforce the belief that such smoking bans in enclosed areas prevents heart attacks and improves public health, reported Reuters.
"Public smoking bans seem to be tremendously effective in reducing heart attack and, theoretically, might also help to prevent lung cancer and emphysema, diseases that develop much more slowly than heart attacks," said Dr. David Meyers of the University of Kansas School of Medicine, who headed the study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
"Even breathing in low doses of cigarette smoke can increase one’s risk of heart attack," he said.
Smoking bans have been put into effect in places across the glove. The U.S. has 32 states that have banned smoking in public places and workplaces, and many cities and other localities have joined in such restrictions.
Meyers and his team analyzed data from 10 studies on smoking bans in the U.S., Canada and Europe to see if there was any difference in the number of heart attacks before and after the public smoking bans.
They discovered that the people who are most likely to benefit are women and younger people. They believe this probably has something to do with the fact that they often work in or regularly visit bars and restaurants where smoking is pervasive, said Meyers.
Even though previous studies have been inconsistent in their findings, further analysis found that smoking bans had a fascinating effect, said James Lightwood of the University of California, who worked on the study in Circulation.
"This study adds to the already strong evidence that secondhand smoke causes heart attacks, and that passing 100 percent smoke-free laws in all workplaces and public places is something we can do to protect the public," Lightwood said.
Spokesman for the Michigan Restaurant Association Andy Deloney admits he has not seen the studies, but that he is still a skeptic when it comes to research revealing immediate health benefits.
He notes that tobacco smoke is only one of a slew of factors contributing to heart disease.
Deloney said that many Michigan restaurants are making the decision to ban smoking for competitive reasons. Even with no current statewide smoking ban, the number of smoke-free restaurants has jumped from 2,200 in 1998 to 5,700.
He added that he believes the decision should be between a restaurant and their customers.
"We couldn’t care less if all of the restaurants in Michigan went smoke-free — as long as it’s their choice," he said.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that long-term exposure to secondhand smoke can increase the rate of heart disease in adult non-smokers by 25-30 percent.
The CDC and Heart Association estimate that 46,000 Americans lose their lives to heart disease caused by second hand smoke each year.
Smoking can also lead to various cancers, stroke, and emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ((COPD)
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