Lives Saved through Smoking Ban

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13 January 2011

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Lives Saved through Smoking Ban

The sometimes fatal effect of second-hand smoke is reduced when smoking is banned in public places

“Smoking bans in public places and workplaces are significantly associated with a reduction in AMI (acute myocardial infarction) incidence, particularly if enforced over several years.” That’s the conclusion of a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (September 2009).

Health Impact Greater than Expected

Researchers at the Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas School of Medicine carried out an analysis of peer-reviewed articles covering the incidence of heart attacks before and after public smoking bans were put in place.

“Using 11 reports from 10 study locations, AMI risk decreased by 17 percent overall…The IRR (incident rate ratios) incrementally decreased 26 percent for each year of observation after ban implementation.”After three years, there was a 36 percent reduction in heart attacks.

Commenting on the study, BBC News (September 2009) said “This ‘heart gain’ is far greater than both originally anticipated and the 10 percent figure recently quoted by England’s Department of Health.”

Effects of Second-hand Smoke

According to HealthLinkBC, “Health experts do not know of a safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke.” It can be more dangerous than inhaling smoke directly.

Second-hand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, at least 50 of which are known to cause cancer. The levels of tar and nicotine are twice as high in second-hand smoke as in smoke that is directly inhaled by tobacco users. In addition, there is a high level of carbon monoxide in second-hand smoke.

HealthLinkBC lists some of the more noxious substances found in second-hand smoke:

Benzo[a]pyrene found in coal tar, one of the most potent cancer-causing chemicals;
Formaldehyde used to preserve dead animals;
Hydrogen cyanide used in rat poison; and,
Ammonia used to clean floors and toilets.

Lives Saved by Public Smoking Ban

The Kansas City Star (September 2009) interviewed David Meyers, one of the lead authors of the Kansas University study.

“Meyers estimated conservatively that a nationwide public smoking ban would prevent as many as 156,400 heart attacks a year. Non-smokers would benefit by limiting their exposure to second-hand smoke. Smokers would have a greater incentive to quit or cut back,” wrote reporter Alan Bavley.

Many countries – the United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, Italy, and France – have banned smoking in most public places. The United States has no national public smoking ban in place although “As of last year (2008), 23 states and the District of Columbia had enacted comprehensive smoking restrictions, according to the American Lung Association.”

Meyers suggested the lack of action in the United States is because the country is a big tobacco producer. Companies involved in the business are major lobbyists and campaign contributors.

More Evidence for Need for Smoking Ban

Another literature review study carried out by Dr. James Lightwood, of the University of California at San Francisco, has come to similar conclusions to the ones reached in Kansas.

This study was published in the journal Circulation (September 2009). BBC News quotes Dr. Lightwood as saying, “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.”

Image credit

Solrac

Sources

“Cardiovascular Effect of Bans on Smoking in Public Places.” David G. Meyers, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, July 22, 2009.

“Smoking Bans Cut Heart Attacks.” BBC News, September 21, 2009.

“KU Researchers Add to Evidence that Smoking Bans Reduce Heart Attacks.” Alan Bavley, Kansas City Star, September 29, 2009.
“Declines in Acute Myocardial Infarction After Smoke-Free Laws and Individual Risk Attributable to Secondhand Smoke.” James M. Lightwood et al, Circulation, September 21, 2009.

“Breathing in second-hand smoke causes at least 800 deaths in Canadian non-smokers from lung cancer and heart disease every year.”

When she was 11 years old Barb Tarbox of Edmonton took up cigarette smoking. As the Toronto Star reported “after 30 years of smoking up to two packs a day, Tarbox was diagnosed with incurable lung and brain cancer.” She died in June 2003 at the age of 42.

During the last few months of her life she spoke to thousands of students about the dangers of smoking. Her dying wish was that graphic photos of her on her death bed be put on cigarette packages.

The Federal Drug Administration in the United States short-listed an image of Barb’s wasted body (above) for its anti-smoking campaign while the Canadian government cancelled its plans to do so. It has been alleged that lobbying from tobacco companies prompted Ottawa to back out of the program.

A public outcry caused Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq to change course in late December 2010.

Governments in Canada collect more than $4 billion a year in tobacco taxes.