June 14, 2010 - In the year after smoke-free legislation was introduced in England, there were 1,200 fewer emergency heart attack (myocardial infarction) hospital admissions -- a 2.4 percent decrease, a new study shows. The smoke-free law, enacted on July 1, 2007, prohibits smoking in all public places and enclosed workplaces. The researchers analyzed emergency department admissions for patients aged 18 and older from July 2002 to September 2008.
PAPER: Short term impact of smoke-free legislation in England: retrospective analysis of hospital admissions for myocardial infarction, Michelle Sims, Roy Maxwell, Linda Bauld, Anna Gilmore (a.gilmore@bath.ac.uk), BMJ 2010;340:c2161, ABSTRACT..
VIDEO - Dr. Gilmore..Heart attack admissions fall after smoking ban by Clare Murphy Health reporter, BBC News, 6/9/2010..
Earlier news brief on the same subject: England - ban on public smoking results in a fall in heart attack by 10%.
While the decrease may seem small, many public places and workplaces were already smoke-free when the legislation was introduced, the researchers noted.
Smoking Bans = Fewer Heart Attacks? Up To A Point, Lord Copper, Alex Massie, Spectator.co.uk, 6/9/2010
The findings show that banning smoking in public places can reduce hospital admissions for heart attacks even in countries that already have other anti-smoking regulations. This can have an important public health benefit given the high rates of heart disease worldwide, said Dr. Anna Gilmore, University of Bath, and colleagues, in a BMJ News Release.
References: Fewer Heart Attacks After England Goes Smoke-Free, Robert Preidt, MedicineNet.com, 6/9/2010; Heart attacks fall after smoking ban, NHS Choices, 6/9/2010.
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