Smoking Ban Reduces Heart Attacks in Non Smokers, New Study Confirms

A new research study, published in the latest issue of the Journal of Drug Education, found that after a county-wide smoking ban was implemented hospital admissions due to heart attacks decreased 70 percent for non-smokers. On the contrary, smokers hospitalizations for heart attacks remained unchanged.

Second-hand smoke or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) refers to the involuntary inhalation of smoke from tobacco products. Evidence exists that exposure to second hand tobacco smoke causes death, disease, and disability.

Passive smoking (or aspiration of ETS) is the main reason why smoking bans are recommended and enforced in indoor public places such as workplaces, restaurants, bars, and night clubs.

It is said that second hand smoke causes the same problems as smoking (cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, bronchitis and asthma (see source bellow). Statistical analyses have shown that non-smokers living with partners who smoke in the same home have a 20-30% greater risk of lung cancer, and those exposed to cigarette smoke in the workplace have an increased risk of 16-19%.[7]

The study seem to be the first to explore the effect of public smoking bans on heart attacks in non-smokers. Dr. Dong-Chul Seo led the study. He is an assistant professor in IU Bloomington's Department of Applied Health Science.

According to experts, a 30 minutes exposure to second-hand smoke increases significantly the person's risk for heart attack. This is because tobacco smoke contains carbon monoxide, a known blood vessel constrictor. The effect on carbon monoxide on blood vessels may cause the amount of oxygen carried out in the blood to decrease significantly.

The study looked at two regions: Monroe County (IN) and Delaware County (IN). Delaware County had not implemented any smoking ban during the study period while Monroe County prohibited smoking in restaurants, bars, retail spaces and workplaces.