June 9, 2010

expert reaction to new research on smokefree legislation and hospital admissions for heart attacks, as published in the BMJ

New research from the University of Bath examines the impact of smokefree legislation on rates of hospital admissions for heart attacks in England.

Dr Tim Chico, Deputy Director NIHR Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit, MRC Centre for Developmental and Biomedical Genetics, University of Sheffield, said:

“This and other studies from around the world make it perfectly clear that a ban on smoking in public places leads to less patients admitted to hospital with a heart attack.”

Prof Keith AA Fox, President of the Cardiovascular Society & Professor of Cardiology, Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, said:

“Preventing heart attacks is of critical importance and we have much more to do. This study shows that, over and above the existing measures that are reducing the burden of heart disease, the impact of the smoking legislation has reduced the number of heart attacks. Still more needs to be done, especially in younger women, to reduce smoking.”

Prof John Britton, Chair of the Royal College of Physicians’ Tobacco Advisory Group, said:

“The drop in heart attacks following the ban on smoking in public places demonstrates once again the importance of preventing passive smoking, and reinforces the right of all people, particularly children and other dependents, to live and work in an atmosphere that is free from tobacco smoke pollution. We urge the government now to take further steps to close the remaining loopholes in the existing smokefree laws, and to act to prevent the continued exposure of children to passive smoking in the home.”

Betty McBride, Director of Policy and Communications at the British Heart Foundation, said:

“Banning smoking in public places was a bold step and now we have evidence showing that was absolutely right. It’s brilliant news that an average three fewer people a day are admitted to hospital suffering a heart attack. What’s more, we’ll see more benefits in future because heart attacks aren’t the only way that tobacco smoke harms the heart.

“Government should see this as a green light for further life-saving measures – going beyond the forthcoming ban on vending machines – to crack down on illegal tobacco smuggling and introducing plain packaging on cigarette boxes. These will also help stop people dying prematurely because of smoking-related illnesses.”