Older non-smokers gain most from smoking bans

Washington, March 18 (ANI): A new study conducted in New Zealand suggests that older people who have never smoked gain most from tobacco ban.

The research demonstrated that, three years after a smoking ban on all workplaces was introduced, hospital admissions for heart attacks among men and women aged 55-74 came down by 9 percent. This figure rose to 13 percent for 55-74 year olds who had never smoked.

Largely, the research showed heart attacks among people aged 30 and over dipped by an average of 5 percent in the three years after the ban.

The study, involving scientists from the University of Edinburgh, analysed 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.

Moreover, the study discovered that people in more affluent neighbourhoods profited 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.

"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," said Dr Jamie Pearce, of the University of Edinburgh's School of GeoSciences.

The study, carried out in collaboration with the Universities of Otago and Canterbury in New Zealand and the University of Southampton, has appeared in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. (ANI)