LiveLongAgeWell

If you ever wondered if restaurant and workplace indoor smoking bans have really improved the public health—beyond just clearing the air—consider this dramatic recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The authors found that after three years of an indoor smoking ban in Pueblo, Colorado, local heart attack hospital admissions dropped 41%. This large drop in the rate of heart attacks is surprising and unexpected, so let’s look at the study closer to see if the conclusions are accurate and reliable.

When doctors read a medical research report, particularly one with unexpected findings, they should examine how the study was done (“study design”), to see if there were any defects, and if so, how serious they were…are they enough that the conclusions can’t be trusted? Unfortunately, many medical studies have bad design, but often that fact is not reported in the media article.

Fortunately the scientists at the CDC are good, and this study was well designed. For example, the researchers studied what is called a control group at the same time they studied the people in Pueblo. The control group was two other municipal areas close to Pueblo which did not enact a smoking ban. They looked at their heart attack rates also, and found no drop as there was in Pueblo. So most likely, the smoking ban was responsible for the big drop in heart attacks.

Actually there have been eight studies before this one looking at the same issue, and all have shown a rapid drop in heart attacks following a smoking ban, but only this CDC study covered a long time period.

Often when we think of the bad effects of cigarettes, we think about lung cancer, but this study emphasizes how smoke seriously affects our hearts also. If we want to live long, one hint is to stay clear of it. Wherever you are—inside or outside—this study suggests that it’s really worthwhile to move away…