Video Story
Watch VideoHeart attacks drop 41% in Pueblo since smoking ban
Story By: David Ortiviz
Source: KOAA
Published Mon Jan 05, 2009, 06:25 PM MST
Updated Mon Jan 05, 2009, 08:08 PM MST
People in Pueblo are having far fewer heart-attacks, since the city banned smoking in public places nearly 6 years ago. News First takes a closer look at the report, which was just published on the Centers for Disease Control website.
Researchers in Pueblo found a whopping 41% drop in hospitalizations for heart attacks, since the smoking ban took effect.
People like Meghan Cira, a waitress in Pueblo, now longer have to worry about being exposed to second hand smoke at restaurants and she's well aware of what that means for her health. "There's definitely a lot of research about second hand smoke and I work five nights a week and I think if I was around it 5 nights a week, all night long I think it would definitely affect my health," said Meghan Cira.
Since 2003 it's been illegal to light up in public places in Pueblo. Now researchers here have found a major health benefit because of the smoking ban. "Three years we studied the heart attack rates and found a 41-percent decrease in the city of Pueblo, after the ordinance," said Dr. Chris Nevin-Woods, Executive Director of the Pueblo City-County Health Department.
The drop translated to more than a hundred fewer heart attacks each year. The research is significant because it's the first study of its kind to show the long term effects smoking bans have on heart attacks. "We know now that second hand smoke is a significant factor in decreasing heart attacks," said Nevin-Woods.
Researchers also calculated the potential savings because of the smoking ban. A trip to the hospital for a heart attack can cost about 25-thousand dollars. "So when you think of the hundreds of heart attacks that have been prevented, that's millions of dollars in health care costs that we saved," said Nevin-Woods.
Smoking in public places is now banned throughout Colorado, but they're hoping the study reaches other places across the U.S. "Hopefully this will help other communities that want to go smoke free and protect the public," said Nevin-Woods.
The research team compared their findings in the City of Pueblo to heart attack rates in El Paso County where at the time smoking in public places was still allowed. While El Paso County heart attacks remained the same, Pueblo dropped by more than a hundred each year.
Link:
www.cdc.gov/mmwr
