Smoking Bans Cause 9% to 13% Reduction in Heart Attacks!

posted 06:41 AM EST, Sun March 21, 2010

-- filed under: cigarettes | heart attack | Tobacco

Smoking bans work to save lives and improve health, say researchers in New Zealand who followed heart attack incidences in years following the implementation of a major public smoking ban.

by John Lee

Editor

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Researchers in New Zealand examined the rate of hospital admissions for heart attacks following the implementation of a smoking ban in many public spaces, including all workplaces, bars and restaurants.

In the three years following the passing of this legislation:

Heart attacks dropped by 13% amongst 55 to 74 year old men and women who had never smoked and 9% across all 55 to 74 year olds

Heart attacks amongst those over the age of 30 declined by 5%

Men benefited more from the smoking ban than women (men had a greater decline in hospital admissions)

People from wealthier neighborhoods experienced a greater decline in heart attacks than people from poorer neighborhoods

The full results of the study can be read in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.

Story Highlights

Smoking: bans lead to a substantial reduction in heart attacks