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Smoking bans may reduce heart attacks by more than a third

The ban on smoking in public places could reduce heart attacks by more than a third in some parts of the world, say researchers.

Two independent health reviews have found that heart attack rates dropped steeply in areas where bans have been introduced, with one reporting 36% fewer cases three years after smoke-free legislation came in.

Smoking in pubs, restaurants and other public spaces was banned in England and Wales in 2007, a year after similar laws were introduced in Scotland. The Scottish ban led to a 14% fall in the number of people being admitted to hospital with a heart attack the following year.

A Department of Health study of heart attack rates in England and Wales is not due to report until next year, but experts believe the number of cases in the regions has already fallen by around 10% as a result of the smoking ban.

The latest reviews, which draw on published studies from the US, Canada, France, Italy, Ireland and Scotland, suggest heart attacks in Britain will fall even further over the next two years.

"While we obviously won't bring heart attack rates to zero, these findings give us evidence that in the short to medium term, smoking bans will prevent a lot of heart attacks," said James Lightwood, a health economist at the University of California in San Francisco and co-author of one of the reviews, published in the US journal Circulation.

Dr Lightwood analysed 13 published reports on heart attacks in countries or states where smoking bans have been introduced. A year after the bans were brought in, heart attacks had fallen by an average of 17%. After three years, the number of heart attacks had dropped by 36%.

"This study adds to the already strong evidence that secondhand smoke causes heart attacks, and that passing 100% smoke-free laws in all work places and public places is something we can do to protect the public," Dr Lightwood said.

Heart attacks may fall more modestly in Britain than other European countries because many workplaces imposed smoking bans before nationwide laws were passed.

A second review, by David Meyers at the University of Kansas, drew on 10 studies from the same regions. His report, which is published in theJournal of the American College of Cardiology, found heart attacks had fallen by 17% on average a year after smoking bans were imposed. Most of the benefit was seen among young people and non-smokers.

Smoking doubles the risk of heart attack by making blood clots form more easily and, in the longer term, by hardening the arteries. Passive smokers, who regularly inhale tobacco fumes from others, have around a 30% greater risk of heart attack.

Nearly 10m people in Britain smoke and around 114,000 die each year of smoking-related diseases. According to figures released by the Department of Health today, the NHS has saved 70,000 lives by supporting those who want to quit.

"The public smoking ban is the single most important and cost-effective health policy we have. The amount of money it will save the NHS is enormous," said John Britton, director of the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies at Nottingham University.

• This article was amended on Wednesday 23 September 2009. We said smoking bans had gone into effect in England and Wales in July 2007. In fact the ban began in April in Wales. This has been corrected.

I don't know what to make of it really, I don't particularly support the smoking band, but you can't argue with potentially great results.

thanks for the information

good imo smoking should be illegal for the effects on children.

I can agree to an extent. One thing I don't agree with is the ban of smoking in bars (which it is illegal in my state (Arizona) to do, however perfectly legal to smoke anywhere in my home state of Michigan)

Smoking bans also reduce the number of restaurants and bars by more than a third! My bid on the whole thing, you have the right to do whatever you want in your home (with a few obvious exceptions.) If you don't want to breath second hand smoke, don't go to places where smoking is allowed, lastly, if you are smoking outdoors, good god people, why does it matter, sure, people may get a whiff or two of smoke, but they can move. This is all just another power grab to control every aspect of your life, it is also seting up for Universal Healthcare. So to government I say this, STAY THE FUCK OUT OF MY LIFE!!! (this coming from a person who absolutely abhors smoking)

Well, it should happen.

My state already has a smoking ban in public places. I just wished they extended that public places law a little bit. You still have to walk through a cloud to get into some places.

Edit: Ah read it wrong.

They already banned blacks(cloves) and are going after flavored dip. I completely agree with ironman, I just cant get behind them banning smoking in bars and restaurants (this coming from somebody who also doesnt smoke and used to serve). This power grab disturbs me.

Ban that smoke, its smells like crap and harms my lungs, for the ones who want to smoke do it away from me or stop doing it and make yourselves a favor. 100% in favor of smoking bans.

walk around the cloud, or don't go to those places. seriously, you got more toxins building model cars back in the fifth grade, than you will get from walking through a "cloud" of second hand smoke. You forget, second hand smoke has been filtered twice, once by the cigarette filter, and once by the users lungs.