New Zealand - smoking ban results in decrease in heart attacks..

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March 18, 2010 - The study in New Zealand showed that, three years after a smoking ban on all workplaces was introduced, hospital admissions for heart attacks among men and women aged 55-74 fell by 9 percent. This figure rose to 13 percent for 55-74 year olds who had never smoked.

PAPER: Assessing the effects of the introduction of the New Zealand Smokefree Environment Act 2003 on Acute Myocardial Infarction hospital admissions in Christchurch, New Zealand, Ross Barnett Jamie Pearce Graham Moon John Elliott Pauline Barnett, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, Volume 33 Issue 6, Pages 515 - 520, Published Online: 8 Dec 2009, ABSTRACT.. (New Zealand introduced a complete ban on smoking in restaurants and bars in December 2004. This ban has been well accepted by the public, with a clear majority showing support five months after its introduction (69% in April 2005).)

Overall, the research showed heart attacks among people aged 30 and over fell by an average of 5 per cent in the three years following the ban.

The study, involving scientists from the University of Edinburgh, examined trends in acute heart attacks following a change in legislation. The ruling, which updates a previous law in which smoking was outlawed in some public places, makes smoking illegal in all workplaces including bars and restaurants.

Researchers also found that heart attacks were reduced for ex-smokers of all ages, and that there was a greater decrease in hospital admissions for men compared with women.

In addition, the study found that people in more affluent neighbourhoods benefited more from the ban than those in poorer areas. This may be because they visit cafes and restaurants more often or because they are more likely to use the smoking ban as an incentive to quit.

Dr Jamie Pearce, of the University of Edinburgh's School of GeoSciences, who took part in the study, said: "This short-term research indicates a link between a smoking ban in bars and restaurants and a reduction in severe heart attacks. However, more work is needed to look at the effects of the ban in greater detail."

Reference: Older Non-Smokers Gain Most from Tobacco Ban, Study Suggests,
Science Daily, 3/16/2010.

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