Is a Public Smoking Ban a Healthy Choice?

Public smoking bans are at last becoming a reality. Many areas have already instituted a ban on smoking in public places to help protect the public from the health risks of secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke is known to increase the risk of cancer, lung disease, heart attack, and asthma. On top of that, cigarette smoke remains in the air long after a cigarette has been put out, placing the non-smoking public at risk. In terms of health, how effective is the public smoking ban?

When it comes to benefits of the public smoking ban, there’s encouraging news. A research report published in Family Practice News showed a forty-one percent drop in heart attack rates in areas that instituted a smoking ban. This decline occurred within three years after the ban went into effect. Even more encouraging is the fact that this decrease in heart attacks is expected to grow over time. The lead investigator for this study reported that the public smoking ban could prevent up to 156,400 heart attacks each year in the U.S.. The drop off in heart attacks occurs quite rapidly once a smoking ban is put into place with up to a seventeen percent decrease in heart attack rates during the first year.

Most regions showed a drop-off in heart attack rates after the public smoking ban went into effect, although some areas such as the State of New York experienced a smaller decrease of only about eight percent within the first year. It’s unclear why some areas experienced a greater drop-off than others.

It’s not just heart attack rates that decline after a public smoking ban is put into place. When the Irish Republic banned smoking in workplaces, non-smokers experienced a reduction in respiratory infections and asthmatic symptoms. The smoking ban also had an additional benefit. It motivated some workers to kick the habit which should keep Irish citizens healthier and reduce the costs of caring for people who develop smoking related illnesses.

Will the heart attack rate continue to drop in areas where a public smoking ban is in place?  Based on the results that have been seen up until now, it seems likely. The people most likely to benefits are those who work in establishments such as bars where historically exposure to secondhand smoke has been high. Some bar workers have already reported improvement in asthma symptoms and are experiencing overall better health as a result of reduced exposure to secondhand smoke. It looks like the public smoking ban may be a good thing for the health of America.