The indoor concentration of fine particles decreased significantly from a mean level of 119 g/m3 before the ban to 43 g/m3 one year after the ban.
During the period of the study there were changes in smoking habits such as:
While the ban resulted in a significant reduction in acute coronary events in the two younger age groups, the older group (aged 75-84 years) showed no reduction.
When the researchers adjusted for time trends and all-cause hospitalization, the results remained statistically significant in the youngest group and in the 6574 age group. This effect was only slightly reduced when the researchers compared the post-smoking ban data of 2005 to that from 2004.
The older age group spends more time at home than in the workplace or public businesses, said Giulia Cesaroni, M.Sc., senior researcher at the Department of Epidemiology, Rome, Italy. The smoking ban has a greater effect on those of working age and those who spend a lot of their time in public places.
Young people living in low socioeconomic areas seemed to have the greatest reduction in acute coronary events after the smoking ban, researchers reported. Those living in lower socioeconomic areas have worse health conditions with more risk factors for heart attack such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes and a higher rate of active smoking.
This implies that a disadvantaged person has a higher probability of being surrounded by smokers at work and in public places unless a smoking ban is in place, Cesaroni said.
The researchers said the health benefits seen in this study probably result from a significant reduction in exposure to passive smoking. In addition, a s
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| Contact: Karen Astle karen.astle@heart.org 214-706-1392 American Heart Association Source:Eurekalert |