Smoking Bans Make for Happy Hearts

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A fascinating new study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows the power of government put to good use. Now, admittedly, that's not necessarily always the case. But, in this particular situation, it seems good government and good health sometime go hand in hand.

Officials in Pueblo, Colorado, instituted a municipal code banning smoking in workplaces and public places in 2003. The results were stunning. Sure, people still continued to smoke. That goes without saying -- once addicted, well...

But, consider these figures.

In the 18 months prior to the initiation of the smoking ban, there were 399 admissions to Pueblo hospitals for heart attacks. But, after the smoking ban went into effect, the next 18 months saw only 237 hospital admissions for heart attacks. For those of you without a calculator handy, that's a reduction of 41 percent.

And, according to the CDC, positive impact lasted a full three years.

The culprit appears to be secondhand smoke. The CDC says exposure to secondhand smoke increases the risk of heart attacks for non-smokers by over 25%. That's huge number. Each year in the United States it's estimated over 45,000 people die as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke.

So, let's be thankful that every once in a while government intervention can, indeed, be quite a useful thing.

To read more about the study, see this from Reuters. To learn more about quitting smoking, see this useful information from yet another government organization, smokefree.gov.